The Panthers Need to End the Ja'Tavion Sanders Experiment and Draft a TE

The Carolina Panthers spent a fourth-round pick on uber-athletic tight end Ja'Tavion Sanders in 2024. Much like the rest of that draft class, he has not had a ton of success so far. Entering year three, he has 532 yards and two touchdowns in 29 games.

The Panthers still have a relatively huge hole at tight end. Neither Sanders, Mitchell Evans, nor Tommy Tremble have really stepped up. A new chart has surfaced showcasing how rough it's actually been for Sanders.

Here is just this season. Dalton Kincaid meme https://t.co/WnC7EZNGh5 pic.twitter.com/gg9Ly917Xo
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Sanders shows up in the inauspicious region of the above chart that basically means he's not producing much on passing plays and he's not being utilized on run plays. He isn't a huge passing threat nor is he a viable run blocker.

Mitchell Evans, a 2025 draft pick, is also in that region, but he's better in both areas than Sanders is. Tommy Tremble is in a different region because he's used a ton on run plays, but he's been roughly as productive in the passing game.

Put simply, Sanders is the worst of the three tight ends. None of them are good, but Sanders is the starter when he's healthy. That is a big reason the Panthers' passing offense has struggled. Sanders is not producing, and he has very little chemistry with Bryce Young.

So what can they do? Tommy Tremble is a cut candidate to free up a roster space, but they could also trade Sanders. He's still only going to be 23 next season. Either way, they should strongly consider moving one of the tight ends and drafting another.

The problem with drafting a tight end

Oregon Ducks tight end Kenyon Sadiq (18) looks on before the game | Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images

Unfortunately, if that's the plan the Panthers want to adopt, it comes with a major downside. The tight end class in the draft is pretty weak. Kenyon Sadiq is by far the top prospect, and he is projected around Carolina's range.

But if the Panthers pass on him and want to pick an edge rusher or linebacker, which seems likely as of now, they will not be able to get a good tight end prospect. There's no consensus on whether Eli Stowers or Max Klare is TE2, and those two aren't even universally considered second-round prospects.

So if the Panthers are spending a third-round pick or later on a tight end, it's probably not going to bring about the upgrade they need. This should be in the back of their mind during free agency.

Perhaps they can address the edge and linebacker issues in free agency, thereby freeing up the 19th pick to be spent on Sadiq. Otherwise, they'll be stuck running it back with a trio of bad tight ends led by Ja'Tavion Sanders, ineffective in the run and pass game.