The Carolina Panthers may still need some help.
Bill Barnwell of ESPN put together his annual offensive playmaker's rankings, compiling every team in the NFL's collection of wide receivers, running backs and tight ends. The list provides his snapshot of the talent on all 32 teams' offenses heading into the season.
Carolina's playmakers ranked No. 28 on Barnwell's list, a modest improvement from its 2023 ranking of No. 31.
"Trading cut candidate Donte Jackson for Diontae Johnson was a nifty move, with the former Steelers wideout averaging more than 2.0 yards per route run in a broken offense when healthy a year ago," writes Barnwell. "Xavier Legette has lots of promise as a big-play threat, although over-age prospects with one year of significant college production don't typically succeed at a high rate. And I'm excited about Jonathon Brooks' upside, but the running back is coming off a torn ACL suffered in November. If either Brooks or Legette breaks out as a rookie, the Panthers should be fine."
Though additions like Johnson, Legette and Brooks are flashy, the real improvement came at the offensive line.
Carolina signed two big guards Robert Hunt and Damien Lewis. If Ikem Ekwonu holds up, second-year quarterback Bryce Young will have ample time to get the Panthers' playmakers the ball – something he didn't have during his rookie campaign.
With the added weapons, Young should be better positioned to push the ball downfield, which several analysts believe is the key to unlocking his potential as an NFL quarterback.
The three teams ranked behind Carolina on Barnwell's list include the New York Giants (No. 29), Denver Broncos (No. 30), New England Patriots (No. 31) and Los Angeles Chargers (No. 32).
