Who Are the Five Best Panthers Under 25?
There are a number of quality young players on the Carolina Panthers' roster heading into the 2023 season. But which five under the age of 25 are the best?
Here's my take.
5. QB Bryce Young
Bryce Young may be the best player under 25 and quite frankly the entire roster at some point. But I can't throw him at No. 1 or really anything higher than five right now. He's got to go out and earn it.
4. RB Chuba Hubbard
Hubbard is a quality RB2. I'm not completely ruling him out of ever being a three-down back but it won't happen in Carolina as they're invested into Miles Sanders for the next four years. He didn't get as many carries last year as he did as a rookie but he made the most of what he got, bumping his per rush average up to 4.9 yards per attempt.
3. WR Terrace Marshall Jr.
There's not another receiver on this roster that will benefit more from the coaching change than Terrace Marshall Jr. He saw more targets and receptions as the year went on last year under Steve Wilks and has already caught the eye of the new staff. If he reaches his full potential, the Panthers will have a clear No. 1 WR moving forward.
2. CB Jaycee Horn
If it weren't for injuries, Jaycee Horn would have likely made the best 25 under 25 list on Pro Football Focus. I'm not ready to throw the injury prone tag on him just yet, especially since he did play the majority of the season last year. When he's on the field, he's one of the best secondary players in the NFL.
1. LT Ikem Ekwonu
I think everyone can agree that Ickey is the most deserving of this top spot. He proved the front office right during his rookie season and competed his tail off against some of the best pass rushers the league has to offer. Ekwonu is only going to get better with time and before long, he'll be in the conversation as one of the top tackles in the NFL.
Others under 25:
QB Matt Corral, RB Spencer Brown, RB Tiyon Evans, RB Camerun Peoples, WR Jonathan Mingo, WR Laviska Shenault, WR Shi Smith, WR Josh Vann, WR Derek Wright, TE Tommy Tremble, G Nash Jensen, OL Cade Mays, OL Chandler Zavala, DT Marquan McCall, DL Jalen Redmond, LB Amare Barno, LB Ace Eley, LB DJ Johnson, LB Eku Leota, LB Arron Mosby, LB Bumper Pool, LB Brandon Smith, LB Chandler Wooten, CB CJ Henderson, CB Keith Taylor Jr., CB Rejzohn Wright, S Jammie Robinson.
You can follow us for future coverage by liking us on Facebook & following us on Twitter:
Facebook - @PanthersOnSI
Twitter - @AllPanthers_ and Schuyler Callihan at @Callihan_.
