Panthers Position Battle I'm Watching Closest in Training Camp (& How It'll Play Out)

Training camp has officially begun on July 21 for the Carolina Panthers, with rookies reporting for duty. It's the first day in a long and important summer leading into Week 1. There are several key decisions to be made.

That includes who is going to start at certain positions. Left tackle, center, free safety, and WR3 are all up for grabs right now. In some instances, it's hard to pin down who's going to get the nod come the regular season.

But there's one battle we're particularly invested in, one that will have the most effect on the Panthers. The WR3 battle is a big one, and here's how we think it will play out.

Xavier Legette vs. Chris Brazzell II (and others) is the big Panthers battle

Rookie Carolina Panthers wide receiver Chris Brazzell III (19) during the first day of mini camp | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Panthers have two good wide receivers in Tetairoa McMillan and Jalen Coker. But beyond that, there's not a single pass-catcher of note on the entire roster. Finding another one is crucial.

But more specifically, finding the right WR3 to put out on the field with those two in a lot of formations is even more crucial. If the Panthers get that right or if one of them is good, it will open things up.

Having someone who can take the top off the defense does two things. One, it provides a real deep threat to go along with Bryce Young's nearly unmatched deep ball. Two, it will allow McMillan and Coker to work in the intermediate, where they are both better.

So, it's Xavier Legette versus Chris Brazzell II for the spot. John Metchie III and Jimmy Horn Jr. are also in the mix, but we do not expect either one of them to take the spot. The Panthers need a speedy deep threat in that spot, and neither Metchie nor Horn is that.

Ultimately, we believe Legette will win the job, but not necessarily because he's better than Brazzell at this point. The Tennessee product has way more upside and appears to be more polished, but the Panthers love Legette.

They will undoubtedly give him one more shot at starting before benching him, so don't be surprised when he, deservedly or not, is the WR3 on the Week 1 depth chart. But with that, don't be surprised if Brazzell replaces him shortly thereafter.

Carolina Panthers wide receiver Xavier Legette (17) reaches for the catch during the first day | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

It's going to take a lot for Brazzell to win the job outright, since Legette is the incumbent and has the staff's favor. But talent will have to play a role, and so far, Legette has not shown much NFL-level talent.

He's slowly drifted down the depth chart, and on a few teams, he wouldn't even be a consideration to start. For now, he probably will, but that's likely to change shortly into the season.

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