Burning Panthers Questions: Post-Draft Edition

Panthers questions as we enter the second half of the offseason.

The draft and free agency (mostly) are in the rearview mirror. The Panthers have already answered a ton of questions thus far.

Head coach? Frank Reich.

The staff surrounding him? Filled with all-stars.

Quarterback? Bryce Young.

Weapons for the rookie? DJ Chark, Adam Thielen, Jonathan Mingo, and a cast of other veterans.

The roster and coaching staff are in much better shape than they were four months ago, but questions still linger. Here are a few burning questions that will define the summer months and the 2023-24 season.

Where does the pass rush outside of Brian Burns come from?

The 2022 Panthers finished the year with 35 sacks, good for 25th in the league. The good news is that almost all of that production will be back on the roster for 2023. However, someone needs to step up big-time across from Brian Burns.

Carolina took Yetur Gross-Matos in the second round of the 2020 draft and he has failed to live up to expectations. 

DJ Johnson, this year's third-round draft pick, oozes potential but expecting explosive pass-rushing numbers from him in his rookie year is a pipe dream.

Frankie Luvu was second on the team in sacks last year, but in Ejiro Evero's 3-4 defensive scheme Luvu will find himself lined up more in the middle of the field next to Shaq Thompson instead of on the edge where he created so much havoc.

Rushing the passer is essential in the modern NFL and Carolina could still use some juice.

There are still three edge players left in free agency that can walk in and be difference makers. Frank Clark, Jadeveon Clowney, and Leonard Floyd are all on the wrong side of 30, but a young defense could use another veteran to produce off the edge.

How will the hierarchy of pass catchers shake out?

Carolina's top two pass catchers (DJ Moore and Christian McCaffrey) are no longer on the roster.

Their second highest-paid wide receiver in 2022, Robbie (Chosen?) Anderson is also gone. 

Those three have been replaced with veterans Adam Thielen, DJ Chark, Hayden Hurst, Miles Sanders, and rookie Jonathan Mingo. Combine those five with Terrace Marshall Jr., Laviska Shenault, and Shi Smith, and you have a solid yet unspectacular set of weapons for rookie Bryce Young.

The biggest question on offense for me is how will the snaps/targets shake out for these players. Will we see a surprise cut or trade as the season inches closer?

My guess as of May 2nd is that our first three wide receiver sets will see DJ Chark and Adam Thielen on the outside with Jonathan Mingo operating as a power slot. Frank Reich stated this weekend that they have big plans for Mingo and I expect him to get run early. 

This means that Terrace Marshall is the odd man out, but I do believe he will still produce in 2023. The staff has given his practice and production from the end of 2023 glowing reviews, and he must be in their plans. Thielen and Chark have had a propensity for missing time in their careers, so even though Marshall may not get looks in the first-team offense right away, there is absolutely a role for him.

How does the secondary shake out?

There are four locks in the secondary. Xavier Woods and Vonn Bell at safety, Jaycee Horn on one side, and Jeremy Chinn playing the queen of the chess board and flying around. 

Outside of that? The question marks are large.

Donte Jackson will be returning from rehabbing an Achilles tear, and he wasn't ever a lock-down corner before the devastating injury.

Behind him, there are a bunch of guys that are still recovering from getting toasted by Mike Evans and Tom Brady in week seventeen. 

It's pretty shocking that Carolina didn't address the corner position at all in early free agency or the draft, and one has to wonder if they're going to bring in some competition as OTAs and training camp heat up.

The best two corners left on the market at Ronald Darby and Rock Ya-Sin. Neither guy is elite nor even above-average at this point, but Carolina needs to find some guys that can play alongside Jaycee Horn if they don't want a repeat of the Tampa Bay game.

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