How is the Carolina Panthers roster shaping up heading into the team's final preseason game against the Detroit Lions?
The Carolina Panthers are looking forward to getting their first season underway with a new and improved regime that possesses an ample amount of coaching experience. The roster has improved in 2023 and the team has a chance to have a much better campaign with an abundance of new additions.
Around the entire NFL, a lot of players will lose their jobs soon due to roster cuts. It is a tough business, but it also can create a few amazing stories with undrafted free-agent successes around the league.
Scott Fitterer, Frank Reich, and others in positions of power have some tough decisions to make as the final day to trim the roster down to 53 is Tuesday, August 29.
With that being said, here’s our Panthers 53-man roster prediction after Week 2 of the preseason.
Carolina Panthers special teams (3)
- Eddie Pineiro (K), Johnny Hekker (P), J.J. Jansen (LS).
There is some solid continuity here from the Carolina Panthers special teams unit. Johnny Hekker is still one of the best punters in the league. He’s never missed a game in his career and produced a net average of 44.1 yards in 2022.
Eddie Pineiro was healthy and played in all 17 games for the Panthers in 2022. He made 33 out of 35 attempted field goals and 30 from 32 extra points.
Pineiro’s percentage was one of the best in the NFL. Even though he had a couple of big misses, he still proved to be consistent in 2022. He’s been dealing with a bit of a groin issue lately but should be ready to roll for Week 1.
Long-snapper JJ Jansen is entering his 15th season for the Panthers and is the franchise’s all-time leader in games played. He's also one of the most dependable performers around.
With special teams coordinator Chris Tabor returning from last season, expect this unit to be even sharper in 2023.
Carolina Panthers safeties (6)
- Vonn Bell, Jeremy Chinn, Xavier Woods, Eric Rowe, Jammie Robinson, Sam Franklin Jr.
The safety position is arguably the deepest position on the entire Carolina Panthers roster. This group contains some really good football players at the first and second strings, with some boasting the potential to be great under Ejiro Evero.
The addition of Vonn Bell is massive for the Panthers as he brings a very physical presence to the safety room that the team has been lacking for quite some time. He has the ability to create turnovers as well through hard-hitting and impressive coverage instincts.
Jeremy Chinn is entering a contract year and will be playing for a payday in 2023. It will be interesting to see where he lines up on the defense this season.
The Panthers staff and Evero specifically have been very complimentary of him since arriving in town. Expect to see Chinn at the safety position, as a big nickel cornerback, or even as a linebacker depending on the situation.
Xavier Woods will be a starter and key piece for the defense this season. Eric Rowe and Jammie Robinson should serve as depth at the safety positions. Sam Franklin Jr. was a standout special teams gunner in 2022 and will look to continue his big-time play in that area.
Carolina Panthers cornerbacks (5)
- Jaycee Horn, Donte Jackson, C.J. Henderson, Keith Taylor Jr., Troy Hill.
The Carolina Panthers cornerback room will look relatively the same as it did in 2022, which is not necessarily a bad thing. One thing it needs to accomplish next season is to be durable and available.
Jaycee Horn has been a Pro Bowl-caliber player when he’s on the field. If he can stay healthy, it will improve this defense tremendously.
Donte Jackson is somewhat in the same boat as far as being healthy and staying on the field. The Panthers were without their two best corners at the end of last season, so it's imperative they both put a consistent run of games together in order to thrive.
Whether they can do this or not is another matter entirely. Fortunately for the Panthers, their depth options have shown signs of improvement throughout camp and the preseason.
C.J. Henderson and Keith Taylor Jr. should provide solid depth for the secondary as they do have experience starting games and showing flashes of solid play. Troy Hill was recently signed and is a veteran who has experience in Ejiro Evero’s scheme.
At the moment it’s unclear where he will begin on the depth chart. But there is enough talent to suggest he'll have a part to play.
Carolina Panthers linebackers (10)
- Shaq Thompson, Frankie Luvu, Deion Jones, Kamu Grugier-Hill, Brian Burns, Yetur Gross-Matos, Justin Houston, Marquis Haynes, D.J. Johnson, Amare Barno.
With the Carolina Panthers switching to the 3-4 defense under Ejiro Evero, the 53-man roster will contain more “linebackers” than in the previous 4-3 formation. This position group is a mix of inside linebackers and edge rushers.
Shaq Thompson, Frankie Luvu, Deion Jones, and Kamu Grugier Hill will all serve as inside linebackers. The group looks pretty solid heading into the regular season.
The rest of the linebackers are considered edge rushers who will be handed the task of making life hard on the quarterback and the opposing offense.
Brian Burns and Justin Houston have established themselves as being able to sack the quarterback as the starters for this team. Although the recent arrival might not accumulate starting-caliber reps given his age.
Yetur Gross-Matos and Marquis Haynes Sr. will be key as rotational players who will receive meaningful snaps. Both have a tremendous amount at stake entering contract years and must perform well for longer stays in Carolina.
D.J. Johnson and Amare Barno are still learning and will attempt to work their way into the rotation as well as participate on special teams. The linebacker room has the potential to be a very strong one.
Carolina Panthers defensive line (5)
- Derrick Brown, Shy Tuttle, DeShawn Williams, Henry Anderson, Raequan Williams.
Derrick Brown has emerged as one of the best defensive tackles in the NFL. There’s hope that the transition to the 3-4 defense and new coaching staff can elevate his game even more.
This is also a big year for Brown as far as his future with the Carolina Panthers is concerned. If he has another productive season the team will most likely give him a lucrative contract extension after recently picking up his fifth-year option.
Shy Tuttle was a Day 1 free agency acquisition for the team this offseason. The defensive lineman last played for the New Orleans Saints and is entering his fifth season in the league. Carolina is counting on him to make an impact on the interior in 2023.
DeShawn Williams is another free-agent signing this offseason. He has experience playing in the Ejiro Evero defensive system and tallied career highs last season with the Denver Broncos last season under his guidance.
Williams had 4.5 sacks as well as three pass deflections. If he can get to the quarterback with equal effectiveness, it'll help the Panthers enormously.
Henry Anderson and Raequan Williams should serve as depth and rotational pieces along the defensive line. With the waiving of Marquan McCall, Williams could’ve earned his spot on the 53-man roster after flashing during the preseason.
Carolina Panthers offensive line (8)
- Ikem Ekwonu, Brady Christensen, Bradley Bozeman, Chandler Zavala, Taylor Moton, Cameron Erving, Justin McCray, Cade Mays.
This list assumes that Austin Corbett will start the regular season on the Physically Unable to Perform list. It’s important that the Carolina Panthers offensive line can produce the way they did in 2022 while the veteran right guard is recovering from ACL surgery.
This position group has been the shakiest in both preseason games so far for the Panthers. With a rookie quarterback, they must do their job and protect him from injury.
Ikem Ekwonu had a solid rookie season as he was taken No. 6 overall in 2022. This preseason he hasn’t looked as sharp. Against the New York Giants, he made a mental error by giving up a free shot on Bryce Young that resulted in a sack.
Ekwonu should bounce back once the regular season begins. He has all of the tools you’d want in an offensive tackle.
With Ekwonu being the left tackle, Brady Christensen will start the season off at left guard, with Bradley Bozeman snapping the ball at center. It’s looking like Chandler Zavala will occupy the right guard spot until Corbett is ready to join the starting lineup.
Taylor Moton will hold down the right tackle position where he’s been as steady as ever. Something the Panthers need to continue throughout the campaign.
This will leave Justin McCray, Cade Mays, and Cameron Erving as the depth players on the offensive line. If an injury occurs, they will be there to step in and perform.
The Panthers could be active in the waiver wire for a backup tackle once roster cuts are made.
Carolina Panthers tight ends (4)
- Hayden Hurst, Ian Thomas, Tommy Tremble, Giovanni Ricci (FB).
Hayden Hurst is a really nice acquisition to the Carolina Panthers. They haven't had a legitimate pass-catching tight end since Greg Olsen left years ago, but there is hope that the free-agent signing can improve this area of the field considerably.
Hurst should contribute immediately in the passing game. The former South Carolina college star is also able to block sufficiently in the run game when needed.
Ian Thomas is one of the best blocking tight ends in the NFL and can serve as a pass-catching threat as well. Although he wasn't able to showcase this consistently under the previous regime.
Tommy Tremble is more of a blocking tight end. But like Thomas, the 2021 third-round pick can provide some production in the passing game when called upon thanks to his nice blend of athleticism and power.
Giovanni Ricci is a jack of all trades. He plays special teams, tight end, and operates primarily as a full-back as well. His ability to be versatile could land him a spot on the Panthers' 53-man roster.
Carolina Panthers wide receivers (6)
- Adam Thielen, D.J. Chark, Terrace Marshall Jr., Jonathan Mingo, Laviska Shenault Jr., Shi Smith.
The Carolina Panthers wide receiver room looks a lot different this season than it did in 2022. Potentially three of the team's top options are newcomers depending on how things shake out.
Adam Thielen was signed in free agency this offseason. The team will lean on him to be that veteran player in the room while still being able to provide route-running ability and a prominent red-zone threat.
D.J. Chark has struggled to stay healthy his entire NFL career. The Panthers hope that he can be available regularly as the speedster and Bryce Young have already established an excellent chemistry in training camp.
Chark looks to be the Panthers' big-play receiver and can get vertical as fast as anyone. He’ll be a key part of the offense in 2023 and hopefully, his hamstring issue isn't that serious.
Jonathan Mingo is a rookie receiver out of Ole Miss who was drafted in the second round at No. 38 overall. Like Chark, the wideout developed some chemistry with Young, so expect him to be a big part of the Panthers' offense this season.
Third-year receiver Terrrace Marshall Jr. has shown flashes of being a potential No. 1 option. Injuries have set him back a few times in his short career. If he can stay healthy, the LSU product could end up being that for the Panthers moving forward.
Laviska Shenault Jr. is a different type of receiver than everyone else in the unit. He can hurt opposing defenses just as much on the ground as he can through the air.
He’s a very dangerous player with the ball in his hands. It will be interesting to see how Shenault is utilized in Frank Reich and Thomas Brown’s offense.
Shi Smith provides some versatility. He’s not only a receiver, but a player who can contribute in the return game in the absence of injured Damiere Byrd.
Carolina Panthers running backs (3)
- Miles Sanders, Chuba Hubbard, Raheem Blackshear.
The Carolina Panthers went out and acquired Miles Sanders in free agency this offseason. The addition seems like a fantastic one as the running back was on a great team with the Philadelphia Eagles that reached the Super Bowl in 2022.
Sanders tallied 1,269 rushing yards with 11 touchdowns. The former second-round pick has mentioned that he is excited to get back to becoming a big-time threat in the passing game as well. This move bolstered the running back room for 2023.
Chuba Hubbard showed flashes last year of being capable of receiving meaningful in-game carries. In 2022, the Oklahoma State product had 95 touches with 466 rushing yards and two touchdowns. His yards per carry averaged out at 4.9.
Raheem Blackshear should make this roster and provide depth at the running back position after an exceptional preparation period. He is also set to feature in the return game for good measure.
Blackshear has proven to be explosive on the field and he looks to give Carolina a solid return game which they desperately need. The undrafted free agent scored three rushing touchdowns in 2022, proving he can provide some help in the run game if needed.
Carolina Panthers quarterbacks (3)
- Bryce Young, Andy Dalton, Matt Corral.
The Bryce Young era with the Carolina Panthers begins soon as Week 1 kicks off on Sunday, September 10 at the Atlanta Falcons. It will be interesting to see how the No. 1 overall pick fares in an entire game instead of just a couple of drives.
One thing’s for sure - the offensive line must do everything they can to give him time to operate and enable maximum production at all times. Only time will tell if Young will be the franchise quarterback for years to come.
In free agency this offseason, the Panthers acquired veteran quarterback Andy Dalton to be the backup and mentor to Young. He is an excellent option to back up the rookie and has done a good job nurturing the Heisman Trophy winner so far as the regular season approaches.
For what it’s worth, Dalton had the highest completion percentage of his career last season with the New Orleans Saints. So he typically does a good job of taking care of the football.
Matt Corral hasn’t looked the greatest so far in what’s considered his first real opportunity after his Lisfranc injury suffered during last year's preseason. In two warmup games, he’s gone 24-for-35 for 197 yards, has thrown an interception, and lost a fumble.
He did look much better in Week 2 of the preseason versus the New York Giants. Corral will look to improve in the final week of his projected time under center against the Detroit Lions.