Panthers TE Hayden Hurst is a 'Sleeper' Fantasy Option in 2023

If you're looking to draft a Carolina Panther in your fantasy football league this season, one guy you may want to consider is tight end, Hayden Hurst, according to SI Fantasy's Michael Fabiano.

"Hurst, a one-time top-10 fantasy tight end, could become a nice security blanket for rookie quarterback Bryce Young. In an offense that lacks high-end playmakers among its receivers, Hurst could be a nice draft bargain at some point in the later rounds."

Hurst was limited in OTAs/mandatory minicamp as he made his way back from a groin injury that he played the entire 2022 season with. He did get in some work with Bryce Young which was something deemed valuable.

Last season with the Bengals, Hurst caught 52 passes for 414 yards and two touchdowns. In a Frank Reich-coached offense, we could see those numbers increase.

"Very tight end friendly," Hurst said of the Panthers' offense. "When you're in the red zone, it's very tight end centric. I think everything kind of goes through that especially when you have a young quarterback. It's exciting to be in those progressions and in those reads. I think you just look at his track record and what he's done with all those tight ends, those Fs. [Antonio] Gates, [Zach] Ertz, Eric Ebron when he was in Indy. Being that hybrid, it's fun. You can move all over the place. You can be at one, two, three. You can be isolated on the backside, so it's fun. It's a good offense to be a part of."

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