The Carolina Panthers are staring at one of their trickiest preseason calls in the wide receiver room, and Jimmy Horn Jr. has suddenly landed in the middle of the debate.
Xavier Legette, Jalen Coker and Tetairoa McMillan look set for roster spots, leaving a crowded fight for the remaining openings. The names in that mix include Jimmy Horn Jr., John Metchie, David Moore, Ja'Seem Reed, Elijah Cooks, Brycen Tremayne, Roc Taylor and Casey Washington, with a deserving player likely to get squeezed out.
One insider thinks Horn Jr. is the odd man out, which would be a real surprise in his second NFL season. Bleacher Report's Moe Moton also pointed to Horn as the player the Panthers should move on from.
"Tetairoa McMillan, Jalen Coker and Xavier Legette are the top three receivers. Brycen Tremayne is a key special teamer. If the Panthers keep John Metchie III, it could cost Jimmy Horn Jr. a roster spot," he wrote.
That argument comes down to slot competition. When Metchie has been healthy, he has spent a lot of time there, and Horn Jr. lines up primarily in the slot as well. There’s overlap there, even if Jalen Coker and Tetairoa McMillan - and maybe Darren Waller - are also expected to get plenty of work inside.
"Still only 26, Metchie has some upside and started to show his potential in the second half of the previous season with the New York Jets. He could surpass Horn for the backup slot receiver position, which is notable given Coker's recent injury history," Moton concluded.
That’s where the debate gets interesting. Horn Jr. has reportedly been having a solid camp, and he looked pretty good in the Hall of Fame Game. He’s also 23, which makes the upside case feel stronger than the one for Metchie, who is 26 and has been a disappointment at the NFL level.
Metchie does have history with Bryce Young, and that connection could matter. But Horn Jr. has been adding special teams experience this offseason and brings more versatility. For now, the expectation is that the Panthers keep both receivers, though if it comes down to one, Horn Jr. looks like the better bet to stick.
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Before Carolina even played its first preseason snap, the unofficial depth chart gave a few roster battles some early shape. Trevin Wallace is positioned ahead of Claudin Cherelus for the second linebacker spot opposite Devin Lloyd, a small but meaningful sign of where the staff stands heading into camps next phase. The chart also has Jimmy Horn ahead of John Metchie and lists Cam Jackson as the projected starter on the defensive line, both of which add a little more clarity to a few crowded position groups.
The more interesting part is how quickly this kind of snapshot can shift once the Panthers start adding pieces. Darren Waller was signed after the depth chart came out, which only adds another wrinkle to an offense already sorting through tight end roles. Ja'Tavion Sanders, meanwhile, has slipped behind other players and now appears to be fighting just to stay in the mix as the final roster picture starts to come into focus. [Read more 🡒]
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The Panthers training camp has been anything but smooth, with injuries piling up across premium spots and opening the door for some unexpected competition. One of the more interesting battles has settled in at receiver, where free-agent addition John Metchie III has quickly become part of the mix for a role behind the top options, putting him in the same conversation as Xavier Legette and David Moore.
Pro Football Focus analyst Gordon McGuinness has pointed to that group as the one to watch, especially because Metchie is already familiar to Bryce Young from their Alabama days. Their college connection adds another layer to a job fight that now carries more weight than usual, since the Panthers are trying to sort through the fallout from camp injuries while also finding the right support for their young quarterback. [Read more 🡒]