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Panthers wide receivers could help Bryce Young in major way

Bryce Young is hoping for progress with the young Carolina Panthers receiving corps.
Jeremy Brener|
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell with Carolina Panthers wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell with Carolina Panthers wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

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Carolina Panthers

The Carolina Panthers have their franchise quarterback in Bryce Young, who began to find a rhythm towards the end of his second season with the team.

Now entering Year 3, Young is more confident than ever before, and he's playing with the best wide receiver corps he has had since college.

However, the Panthers don't stack up when compared to the rest of the league's wideouts. Pro Football Focus writer Trevor Sikkema ranked the Panthers at No. 26 in his team wide receiver rankings.

Carolina Panthers wide receiver Xavier Legette with the ball in the first quarter at Bank of America Stadium
Carolina Panthers wide receiver Xavier Legette with the ball in the first quarter at Bank of America Stadium. | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

"The Panthers ranked last in team PFF receiving grade in 2024 but now get a major boost with first-rounder Tetairoa McMillan joining the group. He was one of just 15 FBS wide receivers to boast a 90.0-plus PFF receiving grade over the past two seasons," Sikkema wrote.

"Carolina will still need valuable snaps from 34-year-old Adam Thielen, who led the team with a 76.5 PFF receiving grade last season, and they will need much more from 2023 first-rounder Xavier Legette, who earned just a 59.1 PFF receiving grade in 2024. The team did get bonus production from undrafted free agent Jalen Coker, whose 1.72 yards-per-route-run average ranked fourth among rookie wideouts."

The only teams ranking below the Panthers were the Los Angeles Chargers, New York Jets, Pittsburgh Steelers, Tennessee Titans, New England Patriots and Cleveland Browns.

The Panthers should also have a resurgence from Hunter Renfrow, who missed last season due to an illness.

There's a lot of unproven commodities in the Panthers wide receiver room, but if Young can set them up for success, they could be among the league's most underrated position groups.

Wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan celebrates as he walks on stage after being selected eighth overall by the Carolina Panther
Wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan celebrates as he walks on stage after being selected eighth overall by the Carolina Panthers | Tork Mason / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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Jeremy Brener
JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.

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