Jimmy Horn Jr. Is In Real Danger of Missing Final Cut for Panthers Roster

The Carolina Panthers have a ton of wide receivers jockeying for depth chart position and roster spots this offseason. Training camp this month will be vital for those battles.

We can assume that Tetairoa McMillan, Jalen Coker, Chris Brazzell II, and Xavier Legette are locks, barring an unforeseen Legette trade. As bad as he's been, the Panthers aren't giving up on him.

McMillan is the reigning Offensive Rookie of the Year, Brazzell was just a third-round selection, and Coker signed an extension during the offseason. Those four aren't going anywhere.

Even with the Panthers likely keeping seven wide receivers on the roster, there are still players who will be deserving of a spot that just isn't there. Jimmy Horn Jr. very well could be one.

Jimmy Horn Jr. might be the odd man out in Carolina's WR room

Carolina Panthers wide receiver Jimmy Horn Jr. (15) makes a catch during the first day | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Jimmy Horn Jr. made the Panthers' roster last year as a sixth-round rookie, but he proceeded to do very little. He was a healthy scratch often, and he only managed to get 19 touches in 13 games. He had 11 catches for 108 yards and didn't score.

This year, he still faces an uphill battle to making the roster, and nothing so far suggests he's a better player than he was last year. He remains a raw, exciting, unproven prospect for the Panthers' offense.

We know the four mentioned above are going to be locks, which leaves three spots for the following players:

David Moore
John Metchie
Brycen Tremayne
Horn Jr.
Ja'Seam Reed
Malick Meiga
Dan Chisena
Kobe Prentice
Ainias Smith

David Moore, given his special teams work and Dave Canales' undying love for the veteran, is all but assured to make the roster. That leaves two spots for the rest of those players. For all intents and purposes, it'll be down to Brycen Tremayne, Horn Jr., John Metchie, and probably Malick Meiga.

Unfortunately, Tremayne also does a lot of work on special teams, so he's a good pick to make the roster, too. That leaves one spot for Horn to battle with Metchie for. Metchie is a veteran who, while underwhelming, has shown NFL-level ability at times. Horn Jr. has not.

Carolina Panthers wide receiver Jimmy Horn Jr. (15) reflects before an NFC Wild Card Round | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

His talent and upside might be enough to win him the final spot over Metchie, who is basically a bust at this point after several NFL seasons with little to no production, but that's no guarantee. And what if Meiga, the uber-athletic and exciting UDFA, shows out? There are also several others who could press Horn.

He may still make the roster, but there's a real danger the former Colorado product is left without a spot when Week 1 arrives.

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