Panthers RB room gets inexplicable brutally low ranking from ESPN

The NFL regular-season begins in 20 days when the Philadelphia Eagles host the Dallas Cowboys in prime time. There’s still plenty of analysis of all sorts coming in when it comes to the 32 clubs. ESPN’s Mike Clay has the latest edition of a project he has worked on for numerous years.

“Here are position-by-position unit rankings for all 32 teams this season covering the 10 key offensive and defensive groups,” explained Clay. “At the end is an overall ranking weighted based on positional importance (for example, it's more crucial to be elite at quarterback than at running back). I also included brief outlooks on the best and shakiest units at each position as well as intriguing groups worth keeping an eye on. Note that these are 2025 rankings rather than long-term outlooks.”

Carolina Panthers’ running back corps ranked 28th in NFL

The topic here when it comes to the Carolina Panthers is running back. It’s somewhat unfathomable that given the following information, only four running back rooms in the league are ranked lower than Dave Canales’s group.

Aug 8, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Panthers running back Rico Dowdle (5) with the ball as Cleveland Browns linebacker Winston Reid (59) defends in the second quarter at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Four-year pro Chuba Hubbard comes off a career campaign, running for 1,195 yards and 10 scores. He finished with 1,366 yards from scrimmage and a team-best 11 touchdowns. This offseason, general manager Dan Morgan signed Rico Dowdle away from the Dallas Cowboys. He also enjoyed a career year, gaining 1,079 of the Cowboys’ 1,705 yards on the ground.

Morgan also used a fourth-round pick in April to add University of Georgia product Trevor Etienne. He gives Carolina fresh legs and a viable option as a third-down receiver, as well as a potential big-play threat on special teams. Raheem Blackshear saw playing time on offense, and led the Panthers in kickoff return yards in 2024.

A season ago, Canales’s team was ranked 18th in the league in rushing yards per game. The Panthers have one of the better offensive lines in the league (albeit Clay has them at 19th). You get the sense that Carolina’s running attack (110.5 yards per game in ’24) will have to make a major jump to move up Clay’s rankings in the future. Don’t bet against it.

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