4 Carolina Panthers skyrocketing up depth chart after 2023 preseason opener

It was a dismal performance overall, but which Carolina Panthers players skyrocketed up the depth chart after Preseason Week 1?

It was a chastising first game for Frank Reich and his new staff. After an offseason filled mainly with praise and expectation, this opening contest showed that this team still has some way to go before being a competitive organization.

While it is important to note that this was the second preseason outing for the New York Jets following their appearance in the Pro Football Hall of Fame game, there’s little defense for a 27-0 shutout with only 165 yards of total offense. The most worrying aspect was the performance of the starting offensive line unit, which allowed constant pressure on rookie Bryce Young.

Outside of Bradley Bozeman and Brady Christensen, the protection was reminiscent of the 2021 Carolina Panthers and not the unit we saw last season. Once the starters were replaced, we saw the problems continue.

One must feel for Matt Corral. After an injury curtailed his rookie season, this was his first extended snaps in an NFL game. Thanks to the likes of Cam Erving and Michael Jordan, he spent most of it evading pressure or being sacked.

It is important not to overact, but it would be asinine to just simply write this game off. While the Jets are one of the league's best defenses, being shut out was a worry. The fact that offensive line coach James Campen called an emergency post-game meeting with his group should tell you Carolina is certainly not writing this off as just teething problems.

However, it wasn’t all bad. Despite the offensive struggles we saw various defensive players show promising signs. Derrick Brown looks to be improving weekly after his breakout 2022 season and the fact the Jets were double-teaming him on the first series shows the respect shown to him.

If this is something that continues into the season, it’ll open up opportunities for the likes of Brian Burns and Justin Houston to get after the quarterback.

But without further ado, let’s take a look at four players whose roster chances improved heading into the second week of preseason.

Deonte Brown - Carolina Panthers OL

Almost the forgotten man in 2022, Deonte Brown put together a solid showing on Saturday afternoon to remind fans and coaches there’s still a player in there somewhere. Fans love to clown the former head coach for his drafting of long snapper Thomas Fletcher in 2021, just four picks before the Kansas City Chiefs selected Trey Smith, who has quickly emerged as one of the league's best interior offensive linemen.

However, fans forget just 33 picks before Smith was taken the Carolina Panthers took Alabama’s Brown with the No. 193 selection. The hulking guard was expected to challenge for a starting spot as the team struggled at the position, but a mixture of poor coaching and weight issues meant he saw little action.

With reinforcements brought in and a new offensive line coach, Brown didn’t make the roster in 2022 and spent the season on the practice squad after struggling in the preseason. However, early signs from the player on Saturday were positive.

Just looking at him you can see Brown’s trimmed down significantly. At the NFL Scouting Combine, he was listed at 364 pounds - two years later he is listed on the Panthers’ website at 335 - which shows the hard work the player has put in.

Cade Mays was expected to be the starting right guard in the absence of Austin Corbett. But after his less-than-encouraging performance against the Jets, the position is up for grabs.

Outside starting center Bradley Bozeman, Brown is the only other lineman to earn some credit following the performance. With Michael Jordan once again struggling, it’s not beyond the realm of possibility that the third-year-pro finds a place on the roster and throws his name in the hat to start Week 1.

Derek Wright - Carolina Panthers WR

It seems every offseason the Carolina Panthers see someone perform well throughout camp and the preseason before sneaking onto the roster. This season that man could easily be wide receiver Derek Wright.

The 2022 undrafted free agent gave a tremendous account of himself during camp last summer without quite doing enough to make the 53-man roster. But Wright has impressed many this off-season once again and was solid enough against the New York Jets.

Wright was a standout for the Utah State Aggies and had 11 touchdown grabs during his senior season - the second most in school history for a single season. On the early depth chart, Wright was somewhere around No. 7 or No. 8 behind the likes of Shi Smith and Damiere Byrd.

In a preseason opener that saw just 113 passing yards, Wright led the team in both receptions and receiving yards. He was the highest-graded Panthers’ offensive player according to Pro Football Focus at 75.9 and a passer rating of 115.3 when targeted.

With Bryd expected to miss time with a hamstring injury and Smith potentially injuring his shoulder, the path for Wright to make the roster seems to be becoming clearer. With the Panthers expected to carry six wide receivers, he's put himself right in contention.

One would expect him to be given extended playing time over the final preseason games. If Wright continues to perform in the same vein, don’t be surprised to see him on the final 53.

Spencer Brown - Carolina Panthers RB

As previously mentioned, there wasn’t much offensively to be happy about on Saturday. But the performance of running back Spencer Brown was a cause for optimism.

Brown was an undrafted free agent out of UAB in 2021 and has been a fixture on the Carolina Panthers practice squad ever since. After his positive performance in Week 1, could he finally find his way onto the roster?

He finished the contest with 34 yards rushing on eight carries. Considering how poorly the offensive line played, this represents a solid return.

This is also reflected in Brown's 74.4 grade from Pro Football Focus - the second highest offensively behind Derek Wright. With the Panthers expected to carry three running backs on the final roster, a lot will depend on the role of Raheem Blackshear moving forward.

Blackshear holds the RB3 spot and is also the team's primary kick/punt returner. If Frank Reich sees this as his primary role, it may give his teammate a genuine shot at making the roster.

The Panthers are also lacking a bigger back for third and short situations. At 6-foot-0 and 220 pounds, Brown is arguably the best option on the roster.

Brown has familiarity with the team having spent the past two seasons on the practice squad more often than not. One could imagine that working with new coach Duce Staley will only improve his game.

While he is likely currently on the roster bubble, a strong showing in the final two preseason games could see Brown emerge as a candidate for the 53.

Nash Jensen - Carolina Panthers OL

Now it’s hard to see how a player who didn’t take a snap on Saturday has seen his stock rise. But the Carolina Panthers’ guards outside of Deonte Brown struggled so greatly, Nash Jensen now has a real chance of making the roster if he can perform over the last two weeks of the preseason.

A five-year player at North Dakota State, Jensen played in an incredible 70 games for the Bisons - believed to be an NCAA All-Divisions record. He started his final 55 games at left guard and in his senior season played in 500 regular season snaps, allowing just one sack and zero penalties as NDSU rushed for 265.7 yards per game - best for No. 4 in the nation.

At 6-foot-4 and 328 pounds, Jensen possesses the perfect frame to be a mauling guard. While he is a career left-sided player and is currently listed as LG2 on the Panthers’ roster, there’s an opportunity on the right after the struggles of Cade Mays, Michael Jordan, and Justin McCray.

Jensen has impressed many in camp so far and said in an interview he was in Carolina to “take someone's job”. If he performs well over the final two weeks of the preseason, he might do just that.