Panthers Pre-Draft Depth Chart Projection: Offense

Glancing at the Carolina offense heading into the draft.

Jan 7, 2024; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Panthers running back Chuba Hubbard (30) / Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports

It's a new era in Carolina, particularly on the offensive side of the ball with several new faces and Dave Canales and Brad Idzik set to usher in a new scheme and philosophy. This side of the ball will continue to get attention when the draft arrives later this month. But for now, here is how I see the Carolina offense in depth chart form.

Quarterback: Bryce Young, Andy Dalton

State of the Quarterbacks:

All eyes are on Bryce Young in 2024. I wouldn't necessarily call it a make-or-break year for his career, but it's a critical one for sure. He has better protection up front and will have an improved receiving corps to work with. If he shows glimpses of being a franchise quarterback, that's a win in my book. As far as the No. 3 QB spot goes, I'm not sure where Canales and co. will go, but he did mention he'd like someone with experience incase things "hit the fan" with injuries.

Running Back: Chuba Hubbard, Miles Sanders, Raheem Blackshear, Mike Boone, Spencer Brown, Tarik Cohen

State of the Running Backs:

Everyone is hopping on the Chuba Hubbard bandwagon and although I believe he can be a very reliable back, I'm not certain he's a top 15 or 20 back in the league. I do expect a bounce back season from Miles Sanders which will cause the division of labor to be more in the ballpark of 50/50. It wouldn't hurt for Carolina to look for a short-yardage back in the draft or later this summer in free agency. That's the one thing missing in this room.

Wide Receiver (X): Diontae Johnson, Terrace Marshall Jr., Mike Strachan

Wide Receiver (SL): Adam Thielen, Ihmir Smith-Marsette, Jalen Camp

Wide Receiver (Z): Jonathan Mingo, David Moore, Cam Sims

Tight End: Tommy Tremble, Ian Thomas, Stephen Sullivan, Jordan Matthews, Chris Pierce

State of the Pass Catchers:

Trading for Johnson is huge for Bryce Young. He's the best separator in the NFL and if he becomes more of a sure-handed receiver, he'll be dynamic in this offense. Aside from Johnson and the veteran, Adam Thielen, there's not much to be excited about. Sure, Jonathan Mingo and Terrace Marshall Jr. have the tools to be solid contributors but it's hard to put much stock into that given what we've seen from them thus far. They will undoubtedly add to this group along with the tight ends. They seem to be high on Tommy Tremble, but I'd recommend adding another veteran before training camp.

Left Tackle: Ikem Ekwonu, Yosh Nijman

Left Guard: Damien Lewis, Brady Christensen, Chandler Zavala

Center: Austin Corbett, Cade Mays

Right Guard: Robert Hunt, Nash Jensen, J.D. DiRenzo

Right Tackle: Taylor Moton, Yosh Nijman, Badara Traore, Ihm Manning

State of the O-Line:

Holy moly is this an improved bunch or what? They spent a ton of money fixing the interior of the line by signing Damien Lewis and Robert Hunt and while they may have overpaid, it's worth it to ensure Bryce Young is not running for his life for a second consecutive season. The biggest question marks are left tackle and center. Can Ikem Ekwonu make a big jump after two years of struggles in pass protection? And is Austin Corbett able to make a smooth transition to center in addition to staying healthy? Keep your eyes on the 33rd and 39th pick in the draft - two spots the Panthers could roll the dice on one of the top center prospects.