Who Will Replace Austin Corbett at RG to Begin Season?

The Panthers will likely be without their starting right guard to open up 2023.

Carolina's offensive line was a mess prior to the 2022 season. The signing of veteran free agent guard Austin Corbett helped lead what would become a massive turnaround for the unit and resulted in what became a strength of the team down the stretch.

Unfortunately, Corbett suffered a torn ACL in the regular season finale win over the New Orleans Saints. He underwent successful knee surgery in mid-January and began his long road to recovery shortly thereafter. 

Knowing that Corbett could be on the shelf to begin the 2023 campaign, the Panthers took NC State guard Chandler Zavala in the fourth round of the draft to help beef up their depth on the interior of the line.

"I don't want to go into the exact timeline," said head coach Frank Reich back in the spring in regard to Corbett's injury. "You know, Brady [Christensen] should be good. You know, obviously, Austin is going to be into the season a little bit more. So we'll take that. We'll address that as we get closer with that."

To clarify, Reich told reporters, "Yes. He will miss some regular season time."

So, assuming Corbett does miss the first few games and possibly month, who will take his spot in the starting lineup?

I'm willing to bet that it will be the veteran, Justin McCray, who has spent time with offensive line coach James Campen before playing for him Green Bay (2017-18), Cleveland (2019), and Houston (2021). McCray has appeared in 76 career games and has made 26 starts. 

2022 sixth-round pick Cade Mays will also compete for that spot but with a rookie quarterback likely taking over Week 1, it makes sense to have the more experienced player filling in. Chandler Zavala could see some reps over on the right side as well but I would be surprised if he's in the mix to take that starting job. Instead, I anticipate Zavala challenging and pushing Christensen for the left guard job.

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