Carolina Panthers
Carolina Panthers
Dan Morgan and Dave Canales entered the Carolina Panthers organization within three days of each other. Morgan was promoted to general manager following the disastrous Scott Fitterer tenure, a name that is practically treated like “Voldemort” among the Panthers fan base. Morgan, who had served as the team’s assistant general manager for three years, had little time to get his feet wet. His new partner, Canales, had even less time before the NFL draft arrived.
The Panthers were coming off their worst season in a decade, finishing 2-15 and firing Frank Reich just nine games into his first season with the team. Their first overall pick, Bryce Young, looked lost as a rookie, spending more time on the ground and running from defenders than celebrating touchdowns. That made the 2024 draft particularly important for Carolina.
The Panthers had a glaring need at wide receiver after trading away DJ Moore to the Chicago Bears in the trade that ultimately landed Carolina the No. 1 overall pick and, eventually, Young. Through some maneuvering, Carolina traded back into the first round, albeit with the final pick. There, the Panthers selected South Carolina wide receiver Xavier Legette, hoping he could become the answer to their problems on the outside.
They followed Legette by selecting Texas running back Jonathon Brooks in the second round and Kentucky linebacker Trevin Wallace in the third. Tight end Ja’Tavion Sanders and cornerback Chau Smith-Wade followed in the fourth and fifth rounds, respectively.
Now, the bill is coming due on the 2024 draft class, with many of its members fighting for their place on the 2026 roster.
Trouble Brewing: The 2024 Carolina Panthers Draft Class Is Looking Bleak
The Wanting and the Unknown
The Panthers selected two offensive players and a linebacker within the first three rounds. Legette was the team’s first-round wide receiver, and many hoped he would develop into the big-play threat Carolina desperately needed.
Instead, Legette’s development has been slow.
Legette entered the NFL after a breakout final season at South Carolina, when he recorded 1,255 receiving yards and seven touchdowns. His combination of size and speed made him an athletic monster, but he was still considered a raw prospect.
That rawness has carried into the NFL.
Legette finished his rookie season with 497 receiving yards and four touchdowns. While there were flashes of his potential, consistency remained an issue. Drops and inconsistencies as a route runner prevented him from becoming the reliable weapon Carolina hoped it was getting with its first-round pick.
Legette entered training camp facing competition for playing time, but he has looked sharper and more focused this offseason. Carolina needs that improvement to continue. With Bryce Young entering a pivotal stage of his development, the Panthers need Legette to become more than an occasional big-play threat. He needs to establish himself as a dependable starting receiver.
For a first-round pick, the clock is ticking.
Brooks is an entirely different situation.
The former Texas running back suffered a torn ACL during his rookie season after already dealing with a major knee injury in college. Injuries have prevented him from establishing himself during his first two years in the NFL, leaving Carolina with a major question surrounding its former second-round pick.
Brooks has shown flashes during the offseason and is competing for playing time with Chuba Hubbard. If Hubbard’s hamstring injury lingers into Week 1, Brooks could have an opportunity to receive meaningful snaps early in the season.
But that opportunity comes with a larger question: What exactly does Carolina have in Brooks?
For a second-round pick and the first running back selected in the 2024 draft, Brooks’ career has barely gotten started. He could eventually prove to be the long-term complement to Hubbard, or he could become one of the biggest misses of Morgan’s tenure as general manager.
For now, Brooks remains a mystery waiting to be unlocked.
The Struggle and the Embattled
Aug 4, 2026; Charlotte, NC, USA; Carolina Panthers linebacker Trevin Wallace (32) during training camp at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images
The Panthers’ next two selections were Wallace and Sanders.
Wallace has been a rotational starter for much of his career. Selected in the third round out of Kentucky, Wallace entered the NFL with tremendous athletic ability and plenty of upside if he could develop his game.
He showed flashes as a rookie, stepping into a larger role after Shaq Thompson suffered a season-ending injury. His second season was supposed to be the year Wallace made the leap.
Instead, inconsistency and injuries have continued to follow him.
Wallace has shown value as a communicator and has experience wearing the green dot, but his struggles in coverage and availability issues forced Carolina to address the linebacker position this offseason by signing Devin Lloyd.
Now, Wallace is competing with Claudin Cherelus for a starting spot alongside Lloyd.
That is concerning for a player entering his third season.
Wallace was drafted with the expectation that he could eventually become a cornerstone of Carolina’s defense. Instead, he is now competing for a starting role against a player who has spent much of his career fighting simply to remain on an NFL roster.
Wallace still has an opportunity to change that narrative, but the 2026 season could be an important one for determining whether he is part of Carolina’s long-term plans.
Sanders is in a similar position.
Carolina took a chance on the Texas tight end in the fourth round. Sanders was considered one of the better receiving tight ends in the 2024 class, and his athleticism gave the Panthers another potential weapon in the passing game.
His NFL career, however, has been inconsistent.
Sanders has produced flashes, including an 87-yard performance against the New Orleans Saints as a rookie. But those moments have been surrounded by stretches where he has struggled to establish himself as a consistent receiving threat.
This offseason, Sanders faces multiple battles, including one for playing time and potentially another simply to remain on the roster.
The Panthers have added veteran tight end Darren Waller, while Mitchell Evans has continued to develop and Felipe Franks remains in the mix. With more competition in the room, Sanders has little room for another stagnant season.
For a fourth-round pick entering his third year, Carolina needs to see more.
The Carolina Panthers Found Value Late
Interestingly, two of the more promising selections from the 2024 class came later in the draft.
Smith-Wade has carved out a role in Carolina’s secondary since being selected in the fifth round. He has primarily worked in the slot and has provided the Panthers with a dependable option as a rotational corner.
Smith-Wade entered this offseason competing with 2025 undrafted free-agent standout Corey Thornton for playing time. However, as the preseason progressed, Smith-Wade appeared to have established himself as the favorite for the slot role.
For a fifth-round pick, that is exactly the type of development Carolina hoped to get from the back half of the class.
The other player who could be considered one of Carolina’s best selections technically does not play for the Panthers — or even in the NFL anymore.
With its final selection in the 2024 draft, Carolina selected Michigan linebacker Michael Barrett. Barrett never played a regular-season snap for the Panthers before being traded to the Seattle Seahawks for cornerback Mike Jackson.
Barrett eventually left the NFL and played in the UFL, while Jackson became an important piece of Carolina’s secondary.
Jackson was a key contributor during Carolina’s playoff run, including a pick-six during the regular season and another interception during the Panthers’ comeback against the Los Angeles Rams in the wild-card round.
That trade ultimately gave Carolina more value than the original seventh-round pick could have provided on its own.
Can the Carolina Panthers Salvage the 2024 Draft Class
The 2024 draft class has produced plenty of promise, but very little certainty.
Three of Carolina’s first four selections are entering the 2026 season with questions surrounding their roles. Legette needs to establish himself as a reliable starting receiver. Brooks needs to prove he can stay healthy long enough to become a meaningful contributor. Wallace needs to show that his athletic upside can translate into consistent production.
Sanders is fighting for his place in a crowded tight end room, while Smith-Wade has arguably been the most stable contributor from the class.
That is a concerning return for a draft that was supposed to help establish the foundation of the post-Fitterer Panthers.
Still, writing off the class entirely would be premature.
This was Morgan’s first draft as general manager, and several of these players have at least demonstrated enough ability to remain useful pieces. Not every draft pick needs to become a franchise cornerstone. Some become starters, others become quality depth, and some ultimately provide value in trades.
That may be the best-case scenario for Carolina’s 2024 class.
The Panthers do not need every player from this group to become a star. They simply need enough of them to become dependable NFL players to justify the investment.
But after three seasons, the margin for patience is shrinking.
Legette, Brooks, Wallace and Sanders are no longer young prospects being judged solely on potential. They are entering the stage of their careers where potential needs to turn into production.
If that doesn’t happen in 2026, the 2024 draft class could go from a group full of promise to a defining example of how quickly a rebuild can lose momentum.
Main Image: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images