After being the worst team in the NFL last season, the Carolina Panthers find themselves in an interesting spot heading into the 2024 NFL season.
They have a first-overall pick quarterback in place under center, a new head coach who just turned a sub-6 foot QB1 into a $100 million player, and about a dozen new, interesting players to help lift their floor between the draft and free agency but they are also coming off a two-win season with a roster that is still likely one of the worst in the NFL and especially in the NFC South.
Fortunately, even if they aren’t Super Bowl contenders, there are still plenty of interesting angles to watch with the Panthers this fall, as they have the potential to take things in a positive direction in a few key positions of need.
Carolina Panthers wide receiver Xavier Legette (17) makes a catch during training camp at Carolina Panthers Practice Fields. Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports
1. Xavier Legette becomes the Panthers’ WR1
When the Panthers traded away DJ Moore as part of the deal to eventually secure the right to draft Bryce Young first overall, it did a double disservice to Carolina.
On one hand, the team lost arguably their best offensive player, a fan-favorite pass-catcher who far exceeded his second-round pedigree to become one of the most exciting receivers in the NFC South, but they also set up their prized new recruit Young for failure too, as he no longer had a sure thing capable of being a major force down the field on early downs and a safety blanket across the middle when the team needed an easy first down.
Granted, the Panthers did their best to ease Moore’s loss, signing Adam Thielen after his tenure with the Minnesota Vikings went south to serve as a proven slot option on the interior while drafting Jonathan Mingo in the second round out of Mississippi to hopefully capture some of Moore’s magic on a timeline closer to Young’s own. And yet, when you consider only Thielen had more than 600 yards last season, with draftees Terrace Marshall Jr. and Mingo both severely underperforming versus expectations, it’s worth wondering if the Alabama product was really given everything possible to succeed in his rookie season, or if the Panthers instead failed their first overall pick with a sub-par supporting cast and coaching instability.
Fortunately, the team looked to right that wrong in 2024 and traded up to secure the fifth-year option on Xavier Legette, the South Carolina product who is seemingly a perfect fit in a Dave Canales offense that has made other supersized Xs like Mike Evans and DK Metcalf into stars as an NFL play caller.
Now granted, just because Legette will play a lot and earn every chance to succeed in 2024 doesn’t mean he will necessarily become a star, but if Young likes getting the ball to the collegiate Gamecock and he can capitalize on that production with some YAC, fans could be looking at a darkhorse candidate to become the Panthers’ WR1 before the end of the season, which would be a fantastic development for a team that desperately needs to find a new offensive identity.
Carolina Panthers head coach Dave Canales during the first quarter against the New York Jets at Bank of America Stadium. Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports
2. The Panthers double their win total in 2024
Are the Panthers a better team in 2024 than in 2023? Yeah, while they did lose some good players like Brian Burns, they added plenty of interesting players in both free agency and the draft and, thus, seemingly have a higher ceiling than their low-water mark of 2023.
How much better? Maybe two games, give or take.
Now granted, few fans came into 2024 expecting the Panthers to be a good team, as they still have the weakest roster in their division, and maybe in the NFL overall, if we’re being honest, but they have a better coach in place who was explicitly hired to help get Young where he wants to be, a few more weapons on both sides of the field, and a desire not to cut corners on the way to long-term contention, with players like Legette likely to earn plenty of action even if they aren’t producing right out of the gate from Week 1. Factor in the presence of Jonathan Brooks, a premier rusher who will miss some of the seasons but will eventually slot in as the Panthers’ RB1 heading into the future, and the parts are in place for the Panthers to be a better team in 2024 than 2023 when they at times looked downright lost.
… but, again, only better by a game or two, as even if the Panthers don’t earn the top overall pick outright as they did in 2024, where they had to trade it to the Chicago Bears so they could draft premier prospect, Caleb Williams, they still look like locks to draft in the top-5, with the potential to secure a premier tackle, a difference-making receiver, or another quality player for the future.
