3 Carolina Panthers rookies under the most pressure at 2024 camp
By Dean Jones
Summer break is over.
Rookies and coaches report to Charlotte today (Friday) for their introduction before training camp. They must acclimatize quickly and re-immerse themselves into the Carolina Panthers' demands under head coach Dave Canales before joining up with established veterans early next week.
This is an exciting time for first-year players. They dipped their toe in the water within a more relaxed setting over early off-season workouts. The rigors of training camp are completely different. Something each rookie must be ready for in their quest to carve out roles for themselves.
There's a more collective, cohesive feel about the Panthers with Canales leading the charge. However, veterans fighting for their jobs won't want upstart rookies taking the initiative. There's also some added spotlight on those who are expected to occupy prominent depth chart positions right out of the gate.
With this in mind, here are three Panthers rookies under the most pressure when camp commences in Charlotte.
Jonathon Brooks - Carolina Panthers RB
We're going to cut Jonathon Brooks a little bit of slack here. The running back is recovering from a torn ACL and the Carolina Panthers would be wise to err on the side of caution. Dave Canales seemed confident the former Texas star would get medically cleared at some stage during camp. However, it'll take longer than that to find his football legs.
The Panthers are expecting big things from Brooks. They traded up for him at No. 46 overall in the 2024 NFL Draft. He was the top running back on their board. This brings its own set of pressure regarding expectations, especially considering backfield threats normally transition to the pros better than most.
Getting Brooks on the field is key first and foremost. Building up fitness gradually is the next step. The Panthers have enough options in the running back room to ease the burden, but flashing when touches come his way over camp is the minimum expectation for a player who is expected to play a pivotal role under the new regime.