NFL training camp season is almost here. The Panthers begin their program with rookies reporting on July 19 at Bank of American Stadium in Charlotte, while veterans join four days later on the 23rd.
Here’s a look at three position battles that could be the most heated.
Running back
Projected starter: Chuba Hubbard
Players to watch: Jonathon Brooks, Rashaad Penny, Miles Sanders
Hubbard, a former Oklahoma State running back, supplanted Sanders atop the team’s depth chart last year. In his third NFL season, Hubbard out-gained Sanders on the ground 902-432. Per NFL Next Gen Stats, that’s despite Sanders running against eight-plus defenders in the box on 9.3 percent of his carries as opposed to Hubbard’s 19.3 percent.
Hubbard should start camp as the No. 1 running back, while 2024 second-round pick Brooks and free-agent signing Penny could push Sanders even further down the depth chart.
Brooks may even threaten Hubbard for the lead back role. He took over that position in the Texas backfield in 2023, rushing for 1,135 yards and 10 touchdowns on 187 carries. Brooks has the potential to be a do-it-all back, grading as one of Pro Football Focus‘ top pass-blocking running backs while also gaining 286 yards on 25 receptions. Per PFF data, his 1.5 yards per route run ranked 15th among backs who received at least 25 targets.
Penny signed after a failed stop at Philadelphia. After gaining 1,951 yards and averaging 5.7 yards per attempt in five seasons with the Seahawks, Penny only appeared in three games for the Eagles in 2023, rushing 11 times and gaining 33 yards.
Wide receiver (11 personnel)
Projected starters: Diontae Johnson, Xavier Legette, Adam Thielen
Players to watch: Terrace Marshall Jr., Jonathan Mingo
Thielen, in his first season with the Panthers, was a security blanket for rookie quarterback Bryce Young, finishing the season first in targets (137), receptions (103) and yards (1,014). The former Viking wideout recently admitted he experienced “The biggest growth I’ve ever had as a person, as a player, ever in my life.
“I had to check myself at the door every single day because things weren’t easy, things weren’t going smooth.”
He should be able to return to the role he filled in Minnesota, first as a second option to Stefon Diggs, then to Justin Jefferson. While Johnson and Legette are not on the level of Thielen’s All-Pro former teammates, they should instantly slide in as starters in three-wide-receiver sets.
Backups Marshall, 24, and Mingo, 23, struggled last season but could use the fresh start under head coach Dave Canales as a springboard to turn around their young careers. Marshall had 19 receptions for 139 yards (7.3 yards per attempt) in 2023, while Mingo was only marginally better with 43 receptions for 418 yards (9.7 yards per attempt) during his rookie year.
Tight end
Projected starter: Tommy Tremble
Players to watch: Ja’Tavion Sanders, Ian Thomas
A holdover from the Matt Rhule era, Tremble is entering his fourth NFL season. Primarily a backup since being selected No. 83 overall in the 2021 NFL Draft, Tremble set career-highs in receptions (23) and yards (194) in 2023 while starting eight times with 16 appearances overall.
He supplanted Hayden Hurst as the No. 1 tight end on the depth chart midway through the season and should retain that role as Carolina enters camp.
Ian Thomas is entering his seventh year with the organization and has been a steady backup throughout his career. Tremble’s main competition might come from rookie Ja’Tavion Sanders, Carolina’s fourth-round pick (No. 101 overall) in April’s draft.
The former Texas Longhorn had 45 receptions, 682 yards and two touchdowns in 2023. He ranked third among college tight ends in receiving yards. Per data from PFF, he was among the most reliable in the country. He wasn’t credited with a drop in 67 targets, while he also made seven contested catches, tied for the seventh-most in NCAA among tight ends.