Panthers news: Bryce Young, Chandler Zavala, Xavier Worthy and Dave Canales
By Dean Jones
Which Carolina Panthers news stories are hitting the headlines with one week remaining until the all-important NFL Scouting Combine?
This is an important few days for the Carolina Panthers. The new power structure led by Dave Canales and Dan Morgan will be working closely with coaches and scouts to devise a shortlist of candidates to watch at the NFL Scouting Combine, which begins next week. They might not have a first-round selection, but finding gems in the later rounds is imperative in pursuit of speeding up their upcoming rebuild.
While we wait for further developments, the stories causing debate include Bryce Young's excitement, Chandler Zavala's potential role in 2024, erring on the side of caution with Canales, and the Panthers being linked with wide receiver prospect Xavier Worthy at No. 33 overall.
Let's delve into each topic in more detail.
Carolina Panthers draft Xavier Worthy in 2024 mock
Finding Bryce Young better weapons should be among the Carolina Panthers' biggest priorities this offseason. Fortunately for those in power, this is expected to be one of the deepest draft classes for wide receivers in recent memory.
Many have first-round projections. Some are right on the borderline - their fates depend on how they perform during pre-draft evaluations. The Panthers don't have a first-rounder, but they've got the next best thing at No. 33 overall following another campaign that descended into chaos.
There are multiple ways the Panthers could approach their first pick in the draft to kick off Day 2. Walter Cherepinsky from WalterFootball.com had Carolina taking Texas wideout Xavier Worthy, who comes to the next level with an impressive blend of size and athleticism.
"The Panthers don’t have any speed at receiver. They need some players at the position who can separate. Xavier Worthy is a shifty receiver with good length."
- Walter Cherepinsky, WalterFootball.com
Carolina isn't in a position to be turning down the best player available given its current state. But the need to provide Young with a dynamic playmaker cannot be overstated. Worthy fits the bill, whether he'll make it this far down the pecking order is another matter.