Ja'Tavion Sanders: 'I’m Trying to be the Next Greg Olsen Here'

The Panthers rookie tight end has lofty expectations for himself, as he should.

Dec 2, 2023; Arlington, TX, USA; Texas Longhorns tight end Ja'Tavion Sanders (0) / Andrew Dieb-USA TODAY Sports

Since Greg Olsen walked out the door, the production in the Carolina Panthers' tight end room hasn't been the same, or anything remotely close for that matter. The most yardage a Panther tight end has racked up in a single season since Olsen's departure was 194 yards by Tommy Tremble which came this past season.

If you look at some of the best offenses in the league, the majority of them feature a tight end as a top three or even top two target in the passing game. Last month, the Panthers selected Ja'Tavion Sanders out of Texas, whom many believe to be the second-best tight end prospect in the class behind only Brock Bowers. From the moment he was drafted, he became the Panthers' top pass-catching option at the position, but it's going to take some time for him to develop into the complete package.

“We’re going to ask him to play the F and the Y in different situations. Known pass, he’s the Y. When you get into 12 personnel, he’s a guy you can move around a little bit more, maybe play him in the slot a little bit," head coach Dave Canales said last week about Sanders. "But right now, it’s just about the basics. It’s about teaching him the steps of the run game, teaching him the formations, and he’s got a long way to go in terms of just picking up the fundamentals. I think his role will grow over time, but we need to make sure we incrementally build that for him.”

Tommy Tremble will likely be the most featured tight end to begin the season and as Canales alluded to, Sanders will become more involved as the season moves along. Sanders knows and understands that there's a lot of work to be done which is part of the reason why he's okay with not wearing his desired No. 0 at this stage in the game.

“(85) is just the number I got. I’m still working for that zero, so hopefully by the time the season come I’m going to have that zero on. I feel like every rookie got to earn their number. I knew I wasn’t going to have zero coming in, so I’ve already had that mindset knowing what I got to do to come in and put the work in day in, day out to earn that number.”

Sanders wants to do more than just earn a particular jersey number, though. He unsolicitedly stated the player he strives to become, and it's the guy the Panthers have been trying to replace for several years.

“I told everybody I’m trying to be the next Greg Olsen here. He was one of the tight ends to change the game back in the day and him doing what he did here…I feel like they seen what they did in me. I’m trying to be the next Greg Olsen. I’m trying to be the new face of the offense for sure."

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