Which undrafted free agents signed by the Carolina Panthers have the best chance of making the 53-man roster in 2023?
For the Carolina Panthers 2023 draft selections, hearing their names called over the weekend surely served as a culmination, of sorts, for all of their hard work and determination up to this point chasing their dream of becoming an NFL player. There is still a ton of work to be done, but it’s an accomplishment worth celebrating before diving back in.
However, that’s not the only path to turning dreams into reality for hopeful NFL prospects. After the NFL Draft is complete, teams can negotiate contracts with undrafted free agents to give them a shot at making the final roster or practice squad.
While it may not be the euphoric moment of being selected by a team, it still grants them that foot-in-the-door opportunity. One that the Carolina Panthers have extended to 13 players this year.
Less common to reach overwhelming success, obviously - being an undrafted free agent isn’t a totally pessimistic launching pad. There have been numerous great NFL players that began their professional journey via this route.
That list includes Austin Ekeler, Jason Peters, James Harrison, John Randle, Kurt Warner, Priest Holmes, Wes Welker, and Antonio Gates, among others. That’s a lot of hardware and individual accolades being carried by that group.
I don’t want to paint the picture that these next prospects we talk about are going to develop into All-Pro players destined for Canton or anything like that. But, I do think these four players have a real shot at making the Panthers' 53-man roster for the 2023 NFL season.
Rejzohn Wright - Carolina Panthers CB
I’ll admit my personal affinity here with Rejzohn Wright – I had him ranked as my 138th-best overall prospect in this draft class. So when I saw his name fall into the undrafted free-agent pool, I immediately hoped the Carolina Panthers would reach out to the former Oregon State Beaver.
Standing 6-foot-2 and weighing 193 pounds at the NFL Scouting Combine with a nearly 78’-inch wingspan, Wright has terrific length and size to smoothly project as an outside corner, which is the position he played during his time in college. He has the fluidity and mirroring ability to consistently find himself in the thick of things as the ball nears its target.
Wright may be a more familiar name than many UDFAs, with much credit due to his appearance on the Netflix docuseries “Last Chance U”, which was being filmed while he attended Laney College prior to moving up to a Division I program.
Did you see that?! 👀 pic.twitter.com/BHfV0wcjs3
— Last Chance U: Basketball (@LastChanceU) August 1, 2020
Wright was productive during his time at Laney, accumulating 64 tackles, 11 passes defended, five interceptions, one forced fumble, and a sack through 18 games played. That productivity carried over to his Oregon State stint, as well.
The defensive back amassed 92 tackles, 21 passes defended, four interceptions, one forced fumble, and one sack over his three seasons in the Pacific Northwest. Wright eearned a spot on the first-team All-Pac-12 squad in 2022.
A likely culprit for why Wright went the entire weekend without being drafted, he was still dealing with a thumb injury during the combine and didn’t participate in any athletic testing. For many fringe prospects, those measurables are extremely beneficial when trying to gauge how they would match up against NFL-caliber athletes.
He will have to really grind it out and work on his technique if Wright wants to make the Panthers roster, as well. He will need to add bulk to his frame. He can be overly physical and grabby with wide receivers, while also playing without the discipline needed to correct those weaknesses.
Eku Leota - Carolina Panthers DE/OLB
Eku Leota, a 6-foot-3, 252-pound edge rusher, is another name that may sound vaguely familiar to Carolina Panthers fans. That would most likely be due to his top-30 visit with the organization during the pre-draft process.
Teams will bring prospects in to have the opportunity to speak with them and get a feel for their potential fit on a team, even if it’s to have a strategic advantage at the beginning of the undrafted free-agent period. That was likely the thought process behind Leota’s visit, along with asking him about his injury recovery.
Leota was entering his second full season with Auburn in 2022 following his transfer from Northwestern in 2021, but his season was cut short after just five contests due to a torn pectoral muscle. In those five games, he looked much more comfortable with the Tigers' defensive system, totaling 10 pressures with four sacks in the limited run.
One of the keys that general manager Scott Fitterer brought up as a reason for selecting D.J. Johnson in the third round was his power rush ability. Leota fits that profile, as well. In fact, in an interview with Justin Melo for The Draft Network, the edge rusher described his approach:
"When I rush the passer, I love converting speed to power first and foremost. I study my opponents and come up with different rush plans. I’m a big speed-to-power guy though. I always start there and work some other counter moves from there."Eku Leota via The Draft Network
Assuming all of his medicals get the thumbs-up, I absolutely can envision a scenario where Leota makes the final roster. And I wouldn’t be at all surprised if he became a productive rotational player as he continues to progress toward reaching his full potential.
Bumper Pool - Carolina Panthers LB
Another prospect that came in for a top-30 visit during the lead-up to the draft, Bumper Pool could navigate his way to making the final Carolina Panthers roster.
At 6-foot-2 and 235 pounds, Pool is a very experienced player, having played five seasons at Arkansas. He leaves the program as the all-time leader in tackles, racking up 441 total tackles over his half-decade as a Razorback.
Pool has his limitations, but he is a savvy interior linebacker with enough lateral ability to defend the run from sideline to sideline. After undergoing hip surgery in 2022, he missed the final two games and all of the pre-draft events.
Despite being an efficient run defender, Pool could still stand to add some playing strength if he wants to be able to see his skills translate to the NFL level. He’s also a clear liability in coverage at this point in his career.
He’s going to have to get sharper and quicker when diagnosing the offensive plays being executed. Once Pool falls behind, even by a second, he tends to lose his mark and is easily exposed.
I think it’s Pool’s biggest strength that could help him make this roster – and that’s his motor. He operates under the Charlie Sheen school of thought; he has one speed, one gear – go!
If Pool can add a bit of strength and continue his relentless pursuit of the football when he can identify where it is, the second-level defender can produce.
I see the bulk of that production coming as a special teams contributor, for those exact reasons. He could carve out a nice role as a gunner and become a sparkplug for that unit while continuing to develop his all-around game to increase his value as a depth option.
Jalen Redmond - Carolina Panthers DL
Jalen Redmond is a prospect that undoubtedly saw his name littered across analysts’ pre-draft rankings and big boards, so I imagine going undrafted was a bit of a shock to the former Oklahoma Sooner.
Redmond may have lasted the duration of the draft due to a lack of true positional identity that corresponds with his skillset. At 6-foot-2 and 291 pounds with 32.5-inch arms, he falls right into that ‘tweener’ category along the defensive line.
When discussing his skillset, he certainly fits the bill of an interior player more so than an outside alignment. Redmond has an explosive first step at the snap of the ball. He’s a very athletic lineman.
He struggles to finish the job, in regards to rushing the quarterback. Redmond has displayed flashes of adequate moves to disengage blocks but seems to lack the consistent ability to bring the quarterback to the ground, despite relatively moderate sack totals.
Redmond does show good leverage and ability to disrupt the offensive line, projecting to be more productive in terms of stopping a runner in the backfield as opposed to racking up sacks at the NFL level.
I’d be remiss not to mention the extensive medical history and concerns that come along with Redmond. As a freshman, he missed most of the season when blood clots were discovered in his lungs.
The following season, Redmond played and only missed one game. The result there was his finest – amassing 6.5 sacks and earning a spot on the Honorable Mention All-Big-12 team.
He opted out in 2020 due to COVID-19, then missed five games with a knee injury in 2021. The same knee would give him problems this past season, as well, causing him to play less throughout the campaign.
If the team can make peace with his medicals and he’s able to find sustainable durability, he has the athleticism and experience to provide value to this defensive front that could stand to add depth and energy.