One of the goals of the Carolina Panthers after the 2023 season was to upgrade the supporting cast around quarterback Bryce Young as much as possible. The No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 season had a disastrous rookie season as everything that could have gone wrong did.
Looking to change that, the Panthers got to work changing things around their franchise quarterback. Dave Canales, who was the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ offensive coordinator in 2023 and helped turn Baker Mayfield around, was hired as head coach.
His presence should help Young be able to get into a rhythm and start realizing his immense potential. The roster around Young is going to be much stronger as well. In need of help at wide receiver, Carolina acquired Dionte Johnson from the Pittsburgh Steelers in an offseason trade.
In the 2024 NFL Draft, even more weapons were added. The Panthers traded into the backend of the first round to select South Carolina wide receiver Xavier Leggett. In the second round, the backfield was bolstered with Texas running back Jonathan Brooks.
With the first pick in the fourth round, No. 101 overall, the Panthers came away with a major steal. They selected Brooks’ college teammate, tight end Ja’Tavion Sanders to give the team another explosive weapon to work with.
An explosive athlete, Sanders has the tools to develop into a legitimate No. 1 tight end in the NFL. His athleticism will make it hard for linebackers to keep up with him, especially when he is working up the seams.
Sanders has great hands, evidenced by one insane statistic that The 33rd Team shared on X. They shared that Sanders had the most targets without a drop with 67 among all tight ends in college football last season.
Sure-handed with upside to develop into a truly dominant player? These are the kind of upgrades Panthers fans should be excited about around Young in what should be a much more productive offense in 2024.
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