Panthers: Three bold predictions for Christian McCaffrey in 2018

He will do more at his actual position

I know this may seem like a bit of a silly bold prediction since he is a running back, but Christian McCaffrey will have more rushing yards than receiving yards in 2018.

That was not the case last year, as he totaled 435 rushing yards compared to 651 receiving yards. He made a name for himself out of the backfield, becoming a weapon in the passing game. His 80 catches were a big part of why the Carolina Panthers offense was so successful. Not only were they successful, they went for big gains too. He averaged 8.14 yards per reception on the year.

His best game in the receiving department came on September 24 against the New Orleans Saints. In that contest, he caught nine passes on 11 targets for 101 yards. His 9.18 yards per target essentially gave the Carolina Panthers a near-first down on every catch.

As many know by now, the Panthers retooled their passing game in the offseason. Torrey Smith, Jarius Wright and Curtis Samuel among others will add depth and skill to the aerial attack. This should take the workload off McCaffrey and allow him to focus on running the ball a bit more. He will have to work for it, as the offensive line is still under construction.

Even still, the Stanford product should be able to have a great year on the ground and could possibility take on the role of a more traditional running back in 2018.