Who Are the 10 Best Players on the Panthers' Roster?

Ranking the top talents Carolina has heading into the 2023 season.

The Carolina Panthers have several talented players on the roster heading into the 2023 season and with the additions they made through free agency and the draft, they have a much deeper group than they did a year ago.

But who are the ten best players on this roster? 

Here's how I see it as of today...and no, I'm not including Bryce Young. He has to play some games first.

Honorable mention

WR DJ Chark, WR Adam Thielen, RG Austin Corbett, CB Donte Jackson, S Vonn Bell.

10. C Bradley Bozeman

It was really difficult leaving some of the aforementioned names off the list, but I couldn't leave Bozeman off after the immediate impact he made on the offense last year.

9. LT Ikem Ekwonu

It won't be long before Ekwonu makes his way to the top half of this list. It could happen as soon as this season. He's one of the best young left tackles in the NFL and will assert himself as such in 2023.

8. LB Frankie Luvu

Frankie had one hell of a year last season and I'm a firm believer that will be the type of play we see from him moving forward. It wasn't an anomaly. That said, he has to go prove it to surpass some of the others who have played at a high level for a little longer.

7. RB Miles Sanders

Sanders is coming off of the best year of his career and you could argue that Philly still didn't get him the ball nearly enough, especially in the Super Bowl. He'll get more touches here in Carolina, particularly in the passing game with a rookie QB under center.

6. RT Taylor Moton

Mr. Consistent. Since the arrival of Ikem Ekwonu, Austin Corbett, and Bradley Bozeman, T-Mo is the forgotten piece up front. You don't hear his name a lot and for good reason. This is probably his peak, though. I don't see him turning into a top three or so right tackle in the league and others behind him have higher ceilings at their respective positions.

5. LB Shaq Thompson

Shaq may not come to mind as a top five player for the Panthers for a lot of folks, but it's more than just what numbers he puts up on the stat sheet. Leadership, experience, and relentless effort give him a bit of a boost. Carolina's defense wouldn't be nearly as good without him in the middle of it.

4. S Jeremy Chinn

The most versatile player in the NFC? NFL even? He's got a case. It'll be interesting to see how exactly Ejiro Evero utilizes his skillset in this new defense, but I have a feeling he'll be playing closer to the line of scrimmage to put him in position to make more plays. He's too talented to just sit in the back end and clean things up.

3. CB Jaycee Horn

Lockdown corner. Pat Surtain II gets a lot of attention as one of the best young corners and rightfully so, but Jaycee Horn is right there with him. Obviously whether or not he can stay healthy is the big concern, but when he is, he's one of the best players on the field.

2. DT Derrick Brown

Absolute stout run defender, who has the ability to become the complete package with increased productivity as a pass rusher. You could make a case for Horn here, but the game is won in the trenches and Brown is a tone-setter.

1. OLB Brian Burns

It can't be anyone else, right? Burns is about to become one of the highest paid pass rushers in the NFL and justifiably so. As long as he's on the roster and is healthy, he'll hold onto this top spot for quite a while.

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