The Panthers are back on the field for their second preseason game, and this one should offer a much clearer look at where things stand than the Hall of Fame game did. Carolina is headed to Buffalo for its first road trip of the year, and for a brief stretch, Josh Allen will be out there too.
This is the first time the Panthers’ starters will get live reps this season, which makes Saturday feel like a real checkpoint. Bryce Young, Tetairoa McMillan, and Jalen Coker are all expected to suit up, giving Carolina a chance to build timing in the passing game. But the more interesting questions may be found away from the obvious headliners.
The defense and the backfield are the two parts of this roster with the biggest chance to swing the conversation. Both have been mentioned as potential reasons Carolina can keep pushing toward the top of the NFC South, and both could make noise against Buffalo.
One of the boldest calls starts with the ground game. Reps will be limited, as they should be, but Buffalo’s run defense was awful in 2025 and didn’t improve much on paper this offseason.
That sets the stage for Jonathon Brooks, who has reportedly looked like himself again in camp, with the burst and twitch that made him a draft pick in the first place. Carolina’s opening drive could end with Brooks finishing it off, either by pounding one in from short range or taking an RB screen all the way to the end zone.
On the other side of the ball, Jaelann Phillips has a chance to make a fast first impression. He’s been criticized for the sack totals, but after landing a huge payday, the expectation is that the numbers start matching the pressure.
And pressure is where Phillips was already thriving: he ranked fourth in the NFL in pressure rate last year. If that carries over, the sacks should come.
Saturday would be a good place to start, even if he only gets a small workload.
Then there’s Jalen Metchie, who enters this game with something to prove. He signed with Carolina in free agency and is now fighting for a spot in the receiver group, where every snap matters.
With more than seven receivers expected to get targets, there should be opportunities. The prediction here is that Metchie makes the most of them and finishes with 60+ receiving yards.
In Other News...
Panthers Depth Chart Just Raised The Pressure On Several Roster Battles
Before the Panthers even took the field for their first preseason game, their unofficial depth chart offered a few early hints about how the roster battles are shaping up. Trevin Wallace is positioned ahead of Claudin Cherelus at the second linebacker spot opposite Devin Lloyd, Jimmy Horn is listed over John Metchie, and Cam Jackson appears set to start on the defensive line, all of which gives the coaching staffs early pecking order a little more clarity.
The chart also added more pressure to an already crowded tight end group, especially after Carolina signed Darren Waller following the release. Ja'Tavion Sanders has slid behind other players in the competition and is no longer sitting in a comfortable spot, which means the next stretch of camp work and preseason snaps could carry a lot more weight than usual for anyone trying to stick on the final roster. [Read more 🡒]
Panthers Camp Suddenly Has A Receiver Battle Bryce Young Fans Will Watch
Training camp has already thinned out several parts of Carolinas roster, with injuries hitting premium spots and forcing the Panthers to look deeper down the depth chart for answers. One of the more interesting openings has come at wide receiver, where free-agent pickup John Metchie III has been working into the mix behind the top names and into a job that suddenly looks more approachable than it did a few weeks ago.
The competition for the No. 3 role has drawn notice because Xavier Legette and David Moore are in the picture too, but the intrigue around Metchie goes beyond the camp reps. He already has a built-in connection with Bryce Young from their Alabama days, a link Panthers fans know well, and it gives this battle a little extra weight as the offense tries to sort itself out around a quarterback who could use reliable options emerging fast. [Read more 🡒]
Panthers Receiver Battle Just Put A Surprising Roster Hope On Edge
With Xavier Legette, Jalen Coker and Tetairoa McMillan already looking secure, the Panthers receiver room has turned into a fight for whatever comes after the obvious names. That leaves a cluster of camp standouts trying to make the best possible case over the rest of the preseason, with Jimmy Horn Jr. and John Metchie among the players working to stick on the final group.
Horn has shown enough in camp to keep his name in the conversation, which is part of why the roster picture has gotten tricky. The Panthers still have decisions to make at wide receiver, and as those calls get tighter, one of the more surprising possibilities is that a solid summer wont be enough to guarantee Horn a place when the dust settles. [Read more 🡒]