5 extremely early bold predictions for the Carolina Panthers 2023 season
By Luke Gray
Now the dust has settled following the Carolina Panthers’ schedule release, here are some way-too-early bold predictions for the 2023 campaign.
Excitement is well and truly palpable across the Carolina Panthers as the Bryce Young and Frank Reich eras get underway after all fans had to endure during the painful tenure of the man who shall not be named. This offseason has been a breath of fresh air to see the team operating like a professional outfit once again - one only has to look at the early videos we’ve seen from minicamp to see the change.
This is a season full of storylines for the Panthers. How will Young fare during his debut season? With a division where the best-starting quarterback is Derek Carr, it is an opportunity for the upstart to cement himself as the leading quarterback in the NFC South. The No. 1 overall selection will also face off against the other three top signal-callers from the 2023 class during his rookie campaign.
There are questions about this Panthers receiving core after trading away D.J. Moore. Can D.J. Chark stay healthy? What can Adam Thielen provide even at 33 years old? Will Terrace Marshall Jr. finally make that leap? And, of course, Carolina also has rookie Jonathan Mingo in the ranks.
On the defensive side of the ball, the Panthers will switch to a base 3-4 defense under new coordinator Ejiro Evero. It’s a big year for the likes of Yetur Gross-Matos as Carolina desperately tries to find someone to rush the passer opposite two-time Pro Bowler Brian Burns.
In the secondary, how will Jaycee Horn and Donte Jackson return from injuries that ended their 2022 seasons?
Regardless of how this first season goes under Reich, for the first since Cam Newton was taking the snaps for Carolina, there’s finally hope amongst the fanbase that the team is moving in a more positive direction under owner David Tepper.
Without further ado, let’s take a look at some extremely early bold predictions ahead of the Panthers' 2023 season.