The Carolina Panthers have a surplus in their wide receiver room. Several spots are seemingly locked up, making the fight for what's left among the most fascinating stories of the offseason.
And for second-year wideout Jimmy Horn Jr., the situation is starting to look increasingly precarious.
Tetairoa McMillan and Jalen Coker are entrenched as the starting receiver duo. Any doubts about that were quashed when the undrafted free agent got a lucrative contract extension from the franchise. It was a dynamic 1-2 punch late in the campaign, and a full season together could see this pairing take off.
Carolina Panthers' wide receiver surplus creates a problem for Jimmy Horn Jr.
The Panthers are not ready to give up on Xavier Legette. There is intrigue around third-round rookie Chris Brazzell II. David Moore is a solid special-teams player and experienced figure who has the trust of head coach Dave Canales.
That doesn't leave much room for the rest. Mike Kaye of The Charlotte Observer agrees, placing Horn as WR7 right now. And even though general manager Dan Morgan might look to trade away one wideout, the Colorado product still has to prove himself worthy of consideration.
"As of now, [Jimmy] Horn looks like the seventh receiver on the depth chart. If he can snag a returner job or a gadget-package role, he will be active on game days. If he can’t, he might face a similar situation to last year when he was a healthy scratch for a portion of the season.
"Dan Morgan could attempt to make one of his annual wide receiver trades that opens up an opportunity for Horn. But last year’s sixth-round pick will need to show he’s worth exploring that possibility."
It would be surprising to see the Panthers give up on Horn just one season into his professional career. He was used sparingly last year, and there were some concentration issues in key moments that must be addressed. All hope is not lost, but the need to display the correct improvements cannot be overstated.
John Metchie III has a strong history with quarterback Bryce Young from their time together at Alabama. Brycen Tremayne was a success story last season, contributing significantly to special teams while also evolving as a route runner. The gauntlet has been laid down to Horn, and how he responds will ultimately determine his future in Carolina.
Horn isn't the type of guy to shirk a challenge. Even so, it's hard to feel optimistic about his current predicament, given that the Panthers are looking to become a legitimate playoff force next season.
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