Brandon Zylstra has been a training camp stud for the Panthers

Wide receiver Brandon Zylstra’s emergence as a training camp stud has boosted his chances with the Carolina Panthers in 2020.

We are now just 16 days away from the Carolina Panthers getting their first taste of competitive action in 2020. This has been an offseason period that will go down in infamy. But the time for speculation and talk is almost at an end.

It is not going to be easy for the Carolina Panthers at any stage during the upcoming campaign. Their new-look roster will be led by a coaching staff that has virtually no experience coaching in the NFL. And this might be a recipe for disaster for the organization in their pursuit of instant success, at least initially.

Getting out onto the field during training camp has been a massive boost for the Panthers. Building things such as team chemistry and cohesion is critical ahead of what is sure to be a stiff challenge for the group in 2020. And there are those that have really made a name for themselves in recent weeks to improve their chances of making an impact.

Continuing our countdown feature ahead of the new season, we now turn our attention to Carolina’s No. 16. Brandon Zylstra has been staking a claim for a regular spot on the wide receiver rotation at training camp. And the player has been one of the Panthers’ stars during team drills.

Brandon Zylstra is in a good spot to make an impact with the Carolina Panthers.

This has been welcome news to a coaching staff that has seen plenty of wideouts suffer their fair share of injuries in recent weeks. Seth Roberts, Keith Kirkwood, and Omar Bayless are among those who missed considerable time, which has also worked in Zylstra’s favor.

He has made the most of increased opportunities in no uncertain terms. Zylstra has been an assured presence over intermediate routes, which has come with plenty of memorable highlights that have undoubtedly left their mark on Carolina’s coaching staff.

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There appears little doubt that Zylstra will now be part of the 53-man roster for their Week 1 opener against the Las Vegas Raiders. This represents an outstanding achievement from the former CFL standout. But what comes next will be equally as important.

Zylstra showed some promise in 2019 that clearly left him high in confidence. He brought in eight of 12 targets thrown his way to record 106 receiving yards and a creditable 66.4 grade from Pro Football Focus. This is something he has taken with him into camp. And he now has a realistic chance to be the Panthers’ No. 4 option behind star trio D.J. Moore, Curtis Samuel, and Robby Anderson.

The player offers something a little bit different from what the Panthers already have. Zylstra provides them with an accomplished short-to-intermediate catching presence that can get the hard yards in crucial situations. This is also reflected in the five first downs he gained during his time with the organization in 2019.

There is a lot to like about Zylstra’s chances with the Panthers going forward. He is now fully acclimatized to his new surroundings and this has clearly been something that has made the former Concordia standout feel right at home in Carolina.

Zylstra has become one of the Panthers’ training camp studs in recent weeks. This has resulted in a significant opportunity awaiting the player in 2020 and possibly beyond.