The pundits aren't high on the Carolina Panthers.
Earlier in the week, I wrote about the NFL executives having mixed reviews of the Panthers 2024 Draft. Now, Carolina is just being downright disrespected by Sports Illustrated.
The publication posted its post-draft power rankings and Carolina landed where it finished the last few seasons: Last in the league.
Despite the Panthers adding weapons like wide receiver Xavier Legette and running back Jonathon Brooks, that still wasn't enough to pull the Panthers out of the basement in league power rankings. That probably won't change until Carolina proves itself on the field. Here is what Sports Illustrated's Conor Orr had to say about the Panthers:
"The Panthers begin this season where they ended the last. I liked Carolina’s draft and its continued insistence on making life easier for Bryce Young. The selection of a few high-character, aggressive offensive players (WR Xavier Legette and RB Jonathon Brooks) shows a desire for the Panthers to punch back throughout games this year. Young is still going to have to shoulder a huge burden, but that burden got significantly lighter through free agency and the draft."
Carolina has a lot to prove coming into the season. It doesn't stop at a new head coach and new general manager. Young also has to live up to his No. 1 pick status, something he hasn't done in his career.
Names like Diontae Johnson and Miles Sanders have to be the players they were a few years ago. Then rookies like Brooks and Legette must be instant-impact players. That is a lot of unproven hurdles the Panthers will have to jump over. The good news is that clearing them is possible. Where things go awry is only if the Panthers find that, despite all the moves made, Carolina isn't that much better.
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