The Carolina Panthers cut their roster to 53 players ahead of the NFL’s annual cut-down deadline on Tuesday.
The team ended up keeping two quarterbacks, seven wide receivers and nine linemen on offense. For now, the defense has four safeties, five cornerbacks and six outside linebackers.
And while Wednesday’s waiver wire is sure to bring some small tweaks to the bottom of the depth chart, the bulk of team’s players for Week 1 are currently collected within this initial group.
Let’s break down each position group. Rookies are in italics.
Quarterback
(2): Bryce Young, Andy Dalton
Young will continue to lead the offense in his third NFL season. After a shaky start last year, Young excelled down the stretch after his month-long benching. The Panthers are hoping he can replicate that late 2024 performance throughout the 2025 season. Young had a solid summer in practice, as he looked dynamic in joint workouts against the Houston Texans and Cleveland Browns.
While the first-team offense left a lot to be desired in its four preseason drives, Young’s arrow appears to be pointing up.
Dalton got banged up during the preseason loss to the Texans, but he clearly has avoided a disastrous situation with his throwing arm. He was throwing in practice following the preseason loss to Houston. Dalton will continue to shepherd the scout team in practice and provide insurance behind Young.
It’ll be interesting to see whom the Panthers stash on the practice squad as a third arm. Jack Plummer? Bryce Perkins? Someone else?
Running back
(3): Chuba Hubbard, Rico Dowdle, Trevor Etienne
Hubbard is the straw that stirs the drink for this offense. After a Pro Bowl-worthy campaign in 2024, Hubbard will try to prove the Panthers right for offering up a contract extension in the middle of his fourth NFL season. He will be the bell cow.
Dowdle, following a 1,000-yard rushing season with the Dallas Cowboys, will provide ample insurance for the much-used Hubbard. Dowdle is dynamic as a pass-catcher out of the backfield, and he has mirroring one-cut ability to Hubbard. Look for Dowdle to carve out a notable role immediately. He should also be situated as one of the two kick returners.
Etienne, one of the team’s two fourth-round picks, should receive occasional touches on offense as a rookie. He will be a primary kick returner as well. It wouldn’t be surprising to see Etienne eventually leap Dowdle in the depth chart pecking order down the stretch of the season because of his upside and lack of wear and tear.
Last year’s second-round pick, Jonathon Brooks, is on the season-ending physically unable to perform (PUP) list.
Wide receiver
(7): Tetairoa McMillan, Xavier Legette, Adam Thielen, Jalen Coker, Jimmy Horn Jr., David Moore, Brycen Tremayne
McMillan, the team’s first-round pick, will be in the driver’s seat at the X position. The Panthers are hoping that McMillan’s uncanny ability to pluck the ball out of the air will help Young establish the passing game this season. Legette, last year’s first-round pick, will have less on his plate with McMillan in the lineup. Last year, Legette seemed overwhelmed as the focus of the passing game, and now he can take a step back and play to his strengths at the Z position.
Despite the Minnesota Vikings looking to trade for Thielen, the 35-year-old wideout is still on the team. While it’s too early to completely rule out a trade with the Vikings, Thielen is here and he’s easily the best option in the slot. Coker, a summer star, will provide depth behind the top three options and work on special teams in his second season.
Moore is the room’s veteran presence beyond Thielen. He’s also a contributor on special teams as a punt returner.
Horn, the team’s sixth-round pick, and Tremayne, another new arrival, will provide youthful depth. While Horn might need to earn his way onto the field, Tremayne looks like a quality contributor on special teams.
Tight end
(4): Ja’Tavion Sanders, Tommy Tremble, Mitchell Evans, James Mitchell
Sanders, now in his second season, surged during training camp. He returned in phenomenal shape and made highlight plays on a nearly daily basis. He should get the bulk of the targets at his position, especially early on, even with Tremble returning to action.
Tremble, after missing all of training camp and the preseason, will be on the main roster to start the season. Coming off back surgery, Tremble will probably be eased back into action.
Mitchell, a former Detroit Lions draft pick, is likely to help with the offense as the Panthers onboard Tremble following a summer-long absence. Mitchell had a very strong summer as both a blocker and a receiver, and he has the ability to play on special teams.
Evans had an uneventful first summer in Charlotte. While he clearly has strong blocking chops, his playmaking ability didn’t shine through during camp. He is a long-term developmental player, who might just be a gamer.
Offensive line
(9): Ikem Ekwonu, Damien Lewis, Austin Corbett, Robert Hunt, Taylor Moton, Brady Christensen, Cade Mays, Chandler Zavala, Yosh Nijman
The Panthers’ starting five has been settled for a few weeks now.
Corbett will return to the starting center spot, while the rest of the returning bunch will stay put. Lewis is dealing with a shoulder injury, so there’s a chance that former starting Cade Mays gets the call at left guard in Week 1. Lewis’s status will be worth monitoring over the next couple of weeks.
The Panthers have nothing but returning linemen on their depth chart. In an impressive swing, all nine linemen were with the Panthers last year in some capacity. Christensen, Mays and Nijman are likely to be active on game days, while Zavala is a former draft pick with upside.
Defensive line
(6): Derrick Brown, Bobby Brown, A’Shawn Robinson, Tershawn Wharton, Cam Jackson, Jaden Crumedy
IR (1): LaBryan Ray (ankle)
The Panthers feel very good about their main four-man rotation with both Browns, Robinson and Wharton. The team brought in Wharton and Bobby Brown this offseason, and both have flashed during summer workouts. Look for Bobby Brown, Robinson and Wharton to blend in together to give the team more versatile looks opposite the returning Derrick Brown.
From a depth perspective, the Panthers are leaning on youth.
Following the release of former starting nose tackle Shy Tuttle, the Panthers will put Jackson, a fifth-round pick, behind Bobby Brown in the lineup.
Crumedy, last year’s sixth-round pick, will play behind Wharton, Robinson and Derrick Brown.
Ray, who was placed on injured reserve with a return designation, will need to miss at least four games to begin the season.
Inside linebacker
(4): Trevin Wallace, Christian Rozeboom, Claudin Cherelus, Bam Martin-Scott
Wallace and Rozeboom have handled the first-team inside linebacker reps since Josey Jewell was released on the first day of camp. While Wallace has been a standout, especially as a blitzer, Rozeboom has been more up and down in his first summer with Carolina. The pair will look to build further chemistry during the regular season.
The Panthers are likely to search the waiver wire for upgrades at this position. But for right now, the depth chart features mostly special teams contributors. Cherelus has plenty of experience to lean on as a core special teams player, while Martin-Scott, an undrafted rookie, can develop into an asset for the long haul.
Outside linebacker
(6): Patrick Jones, DJ Wonnum, Nic Scourton, Princely Umanmielen, Thomas Incoom, DJ Johnson
Jones, Wonnum, Scourton and Umanmielen form an intriguing young rotation. While Jones and Wonnum are expected to lead the position room, don’t be surprised if you see Scourton and Umanmielen receive heavy playing time early on.
Scourton and Umanmielen are likely to be the future of the outside linebacker group, but the team has been very quick to push Jones as the key piece at the position this year.
Incoom was a special teams standout this preseason. Wonnum called Incoom a “thunderbolt” as a pass rusher, and the young journeyman flashed quite a bit on defense this summer as well.
Johnson, on the other hand, battled a hip injury throughout the preseason. Still, the team is betting on his third-round draft pedigree.
Cornerback
(5): Jaycee Horn, Mike Jackson, Chau Smith-Wade, Corey Thornton, Akayleb Evans
Horn and Jackson are well-paid starters coming off strong 2024 performances.
While Horn missed the entire preseason slate due to a hand injury sustained in a car crash earlier this month, the reigning Pro Bowl cornerback is in tip-top shape. He should be able to build on last year’s performance with a clean bill of health. Jackson, now in his second season with the team, had a strong summer. The pair appears ready to repeat their exploits from last season.
Smith-Wade was a standout throughout the offseason at nickel corner. The Panthers are likely to rely on the second-year defensive back to expand the versatility of the secondary.
Thornton, an undrafted rookie, was one of the biggest standouts of training camp and the preseason. He earned his opportunity on the 53-man roster.
Evans is a holdover from last season. The former Vikings draft pick has good size at the position and can play on special teams.
This is another area, though, where the Panthers could look to upgrade on Wednesday’s waiver wire.
Safety
(4): Tre’von Moehrig, Lathan Ransom, Demani Richardson, Nick Scott
While the starter next to him hasn’t been named just yet, it’s likely that Moehrig won’t leave the field as the defense looks to shake last year’s abysmal overall performance. Moehrig was the Panthers’ top target in free agency, and the veteran safety has had a solid summer with his new squad. Moehrig should bring added physicality and intensity to Ejiro Evero’s defense.
Outside of Moehrig, there’s some mystery at the position.
Ransom, the second of the Panthers’ two fourth-round picks, had a really impressive summer, but Scott, a well-traveled veteran, took most of the first-team reps in the preseason. Richardson also had a strong camp, but took a back seat to Scott, too.
It’ll be interesting to see if Evero runs with the young guys over the veteran, who has a vast knowledge of the system. Scott has largely thrived on special teams, so he should have a big role on the team, one way or another.
Like inside linebacker and cornerback, safety could use some reinforcements. Again, keep an eye on Wednesday’s wire for potential movement.
Special teams
(3): JJ Jansen, Sam Martin, Ryan Fitzgerald
Jansen and Martin have been settled since March and for good reason. Both veteran specialists have been consistent throughout the summer and clearly have a rhythm with the punt operation.
Fitzgerald — an undrafted rookie — will be the kicker, at least for now, after beating out Matthew Wright for the spot. The kicking competition wasn’t a one-sided affair, so there’s a chance the Panthers look at some other options on the waiver wire.