Panthers News: DeAndre Hopkins, Jammie Robinson, Chuba Hubbard and camp
By Dean Jones
Carolina Panthers RB Chuba Hubbard underappreciated?
It was hard to look at Chuba Hubbard's long-term prospects with any optimism this time last year. An indifferent campaign coupled with the return to health of Christian McCaffrey and the signing of D'Onta Foreman pushed the player further down the depth chart than ever before, which called the decision to draft him into question.
Fast forward 12 months, and things don't seem so bad. Hubbard demonstrated significant growth over the second half of 2022 once carries came his way, improving pass-catching and blocking to become a nice complimentary piece in a run-first scheme.
Hubbard received a confidence boost after NFL.com's analytics expert Cynthia Frelund named the former fourth-round selection as the Carolina Panthers' most underappreciated player heading into the 2023 campaign.
"[Chuba] Hubbard took a big step forward as a runner and receiver in 2022, with major bumps in yards per carry (4.9, up from 3.6 in 2021) and yards per reception (12.2, up from 7.0). And he averaged 5.0 yards per rush between the tackles last year, per Next Gen Stats, tying for eighth in the league. While free-agent acquisition Miles Sanders forecasts to be the primary back in Carolina, Hubbard's importance and reliability drive a ton of value -- especially while rookie QB Bryce Young adjusts to the NFL game."
- Cynthia Frelund, NFL.com
The Panthers brought in Miles Sanders this off-season. But with McCaffrey and Foreman no longer around, Hubbard is the primary backup that will have an important role to play within a more expansive offensive system under Frank Reiich and Thomas Brown.