Carolina Panthers must avoid complacency with Ja'Tavion Sanders after Week 7 showing

Ja'Tavion Sanders stood out, but he's far from the finished product.

A rookie pass catcher flashed in a Carolina Panthers blowout. That's been a common occurrence this season, although it hasn't done anything to prevent the team's freefall.

Dan Morgan may be the only bright spot off the field. His first draft class is off to a promising start. Rookie tight end Ja'Tavion Sanders went off for 61 receiving yards, hauling in all six of his targets at the Washington Commanders despite Andy Dalton's performance securing the league's worst QBR in 2024 so far.

Sanders has had a very up-and-down season up to now. Some moments he looks like a steal at No. 101 overall in the 2024 NFL Draft. Other times he's not far off from the infamous Ian Thomas or Tommy Tremble.

Overreacting one way or another isn't smart where rookie players are concerned. The tight end position is not like running back, wide receiver, or what analysts act like quarterbacks are. This position still takes time to develop, especially if you are looking for them to be more than just a productive player.

It feels like Sanders will be a productive player based on first impressions. One could argue he already is one.

Carolina Panthers must keep working hard with Ja'Tavion Sanders

The former Texas star has shown his hands are strong going up outside of his frame to catch the ball. Sanders can hang on with a defender bearing down on him.

Sanders also has shown some upside in his route running. While not an elite athlete, he has looked smooth versus man coverage when on routes that don't stop. Give him any sort of in-breaker and he has made himself available to the quarterback for completions.

The biggest surprise is how well he has been as a blocker. Sanders is no steamroller in the run game, but he has shown the ability to gain leverage to keep defenders at bay against the run game. Or at the very least, make it a tough tackle to make.

There are a lot of negatives. Finding a starter or contributor in the fourth round is a good thing. The biggest knock on Sanders is how bad he's looked when the ball is in his hands.

Sanders is a putrid mover if tasked with beating any defender no matter the position. He is nowhere near agile, which was no secret, but he isn't even breaking many tackles from smaller defenders to move the chains or create chunk plays.

Of his 151 receiving yards, 99 of them have come after the catch. At face value, this does not sound bad at all. But he had a –17 score in YAC over expected. This means more often than not, he is leaving yards on the field.

That is not his only struggle. His hands have been inconsistent. Most of his drops can be attributed to mental errors and not bad hands because he's made these catches in other scenarios.

If Sanders can get his mind and hands moving at the same speed, he should be fine. It is something to monitor because a tight end who is bad with the ball in his hands and at the catch point isn't going to last long.

Sanders can be a good possession tight end. He showed some of that potential with a catch down the seam of the defense last week against the Falcons. I would like to see him be targeted further down the field as most of his receptions have come from passes of less than 10 air yards. This limits his effectiveness and relying on him to produce in space, which has been an obvious struggle.

The first-year pro is currently on pace for 44 catches and 366 receiving yards as a rookie. Those stats would have given him the fourth-most receiving yards on the roster last season and second in receptions.

With his 151 receiving yards so far, he only trails the leading receiver in the tight end room last year by 43 yards. And Sanders has only played seven games.

The Panthers rookies have contributed, and Morgan should be celebrated for that.