Reacting to the Panthers' First Depth Chart of 2023

The Carolina Panthers released their first depth chart of the 2023 season earlier this week and as always, there were a couple of surprises. 

Here are a few interesting things I found when glancing it over for the first time.

Mingo listed as a starter

Mingo got off to a red-hot start to camp and then went a few days where the ball wasn't going his way and when it did, he was responsible for a handful of drops. He had a strong day against the Jets on Wednesday, which was good to see. I'm not putting much stock into this, but I would be surprised if Mingo starts and Terrace Marshall Jr. is rotated in. 

McCall listed as a starter

How about this guy? Marquan McCall has had a really strong camp and deserves the opportunity to start. I am, however, a little surprised to see Shy Tuttle labeled as a defensive end. We heard all offseason long that he would be inside. He and Brown have been lined up inside in four-down looks though.

Brandon Smith, Amaré Barno buried on the chart

This isn't all that surprising. I struggle to see how Barno really fits in this defense. He has the intangibles to have a decent NFL career, but I'm not so sure if that will be in Carolina. The same can be said about Brandon Smith. Unless something drastically changes between now and the end of preseason, I don't see either making the roster.

Houston listed as a starter

Frank Reich said that Houston will be a rotational player, but he's listed as the guy opposite of Burns. I do expect that to hold. He'll start games, just not get starters snaps. As Reich mentioned, he won't be out there for 60 plays a game. Behind him is Marquis Haynes Sr. and Kobe Jones, a former UDFA who has flashed. Haynes appears to be in a good spot to earn the majority of reps assuming he's healthy.