After every QB move Scott Fitterer made practically failed, Carolina finally went all-out and got Bryce Young. They gave up a hefty price, and doing such has pros and cons. Losing DJ Moore was a massive blow as he was one of the young building pieces they had to rely on. On the bright side, Bryce Young has proven he can play with a mediocre receiving group, and Frank Reich is also a suitable fit for his playstyle. There are still many ascending stud players on this roster that will altogether help win games.
The new coaching regime, while not anything too exciting, is solid and dependable. The culture in Carolina is better than most teams ranked toward the bottom. Ever since Matt Rhule was fired, the players have played with more toughness and energy. I expect that to continue under Frank Reich. While the offense lacks talent, you feel good about the combination of Reich and Young. If it weren’t for some uncertainty, the Panthers would be ranked considerably higher.
I watched all-22 footage on every team and reconciled it with advanced stats such as PFF. Based on film and stats, I develop grades for every position by using a formula that takes into account every player on the depth chart. Shout out to TFG for inspiring this kind of content. Please use code TREYSCHNEIDER on Underdog Fantasy to match your deposit up to $100. Gamble responsibly and leave your feedback on Twitter @FBIntellect.
Grading scale: 20-100.
(+): The player is expected to improve.
| Power Ranking – 25 | OVR Grade – 78.8 | Projected Wins – 7.3 |
| HC – Frank Reich | OC – Thomas Brown | DC – Ejiro Evero |
Frank Reich is coming off his worst season as a head coach. The O-Line in Indy was playing way under their pay grade, and the QB situation was an utter disaster. Things just didn’t go their way, but I expect Frank Reich to bounce back. Before 2022, he was one of the most reliable and efficient play callers. Reich also had a long resume of success and has had just one bad season. Schematically, he knows how to mix up the run game and does an excellent job of drawing up quick-hitting passes. He’s no genius by any means, but he is a coach who can run a functional offense with the right QB.
Ejiro Evero was hired in Denver last year to run the defense and did a fine job. Following the firing of Nathaniel Hackett, he was fired too. Carolina picked him, and he shouldn’t be much better than average. He didn’t get the best pass rush out of his players in 2022, but he helped Pat Surtain II have a phenomenal season. Evero likes to use off-zone coverage with very little press-man. He doesn’t blitz too often, but you’ll occasionally see his Linebackers blitz. While better options for DC could’ve been taken, Evero is at least a very safe option.
| Playcalling – 81 |
| Scheme – Modern Pro-Spread |
| QB – 76.3 (+) |
| Bryce Young (+), Andy Dalton, Matt Corral |
| Receiving Options – 78.6 |
| WR1 – DJ Chark Jr., Jonathan Mingo (+), Damiere Byrd WR2 – Adam Thielen, Laviska Shenault SWR – Terrace Marshall Jr., Shi Smith TE – Hayden Hurst, Ian Thomas, Tommy Tremble HB – Miles Sanders, Chuba Hubbard, Raheem Blackshear, Spencer Brown |
| Pass-Pro – 76.9 |
| LT – Ikem Ekwonu (+), Larnel Coleman LG – Brady Christensen, Justin McCray C – Bradley Bozeman, Sam Tecklenburg RG – Austin Corbett, Chandler Zavala (+), Cade Mays RT – Taylor Moton, Cam Erving HB – Miles Sanders, Chuba Hubbard, Raheem Blackshear, Spencer Brown |
| Run Blocking – 76.9 |
| LT – Ikem Ekwonu (+), Larnel Coleman LG – Brady Christensen, Justin McCray C – Bradley Bozeman, Sam Tecklenburg RG – Austin Corbett, Chandler Zavala (+), Cade Mays RT – Taylor Moton, Cam Erving TE – Hayden Hurst, Ian Thomas, Tommy Tremble |
| Run Options – 80.3 |
| HB – Miles Sanders, Chuba Hubbard, Raheem Blackshear, Spencer Brown |
QB Bryce Young, who has the chance to change this franchise dramatically, was the primary addition to this offense. Carolina’s offense isn’t very conducive for a young QB, but if there’s anyone who overcomes that, it’s Bryce Young. DJ Chark and Adam Thielen are decent receiving targets, and Jonathan Mingo may step up. They picked up Hayden Hurst, who, if healthy, can be a dynamic Tight End.
The starting Tackle spots are golden, as Taylor Moton is stellar in pass-pro, and Ekwonu is an ascending star player. The interior O-Line is where I draw concern. While the depth is good, none of the starters are high-end on the interior. The run game will be adequate but won’t be a strength. While there are some concerns with this unit, if Young flourishes in year one and Reich returns to his old self, this could be a tremendous offense.
| Coaching – 75 |
| Scheme – 3-4 Split Safety |
| Secondary – 81.2 |
| CB1 – Jaycee Horn (+), CJ Henderson, Herb Miller CB2 – Donte Jackson, Keith Taylor SCB – Jeremy Chinn, Stantley Thomas-Oliver III FS – Xavier Woods, Sam Franklin Jr. SS – Vonn Bell, Jammie Robinson, Scott Vernon |
| Pass Rush – 78.8 |
| ED1 – Brian Burns, DJ Johnson, Amaré Barno ED2 – Yetur Gross-Matos, Marquis Haynes Sr., IDL1 – Derrick Brown, Deshawn Williams, Bravvion Roy IDL2 – Shy Tuttle, Henry Anderson, Marquan McCall |
| Off-Ball Linebacker – 77.9 |
| LB1 – Shaq Thompson, Kamu Grugier-Hill, Chandler Wooten LB2 – Frankie Luvu, Brandon Smith, Aaron Mosby |
| Run Defense – 79.2 |
| ED1 – Brian Burns, DJ Johnson, Amaré Barno ED2 – Yetur Gross-Matos, Marquis Haynes Sr., IDL1 – Derrick Brown, Deshawn Williams, Bravvion Roy IDL2 – Shy Tuttle, Henry Anderson, Marquan McCall |
This defense has some exciting young pieces, and there’s a lot of potential spread throughout this group. Keeping Brian Burns rather than trading him was wise, as he is a cornerstone piece. Burns is one of the best speed rushers in football and is still very young. Additionally, the secondary has plenty of talent. Jaycee Horn is coming off a remarkable season at Corner and is only 23. Donte Jackson is one of the fastest players in the league and is a stellar number-two Corner. Jeremy Chinn is a personal favorite who’s extraordinarily versatile.
Moreover, the run defense is all-around exceptional in Carolina. Derrick Brown and Shy Tuttle are a terrific combo of D-Tackles. Frankie Luvu is also one of the best-run defenders in his position. Shaq Thompson impacts both aspects of the game and has some of the best range in the league. The significant issue with defense is they don’t have an elite player. With that said, there are a ton of young players here who could become elite someday. Overall, it’s a decent group of players, but not quite good enough to carry the team.
| Special Teams – 78 |
| K – Eddy Piñeiro P – Johnny Hekker LS – JJ Jansen KR – Raheem Blackshear, Laviska Shenault Jr. PR – Shi Smith |
Total Win Projection – 7.3
| WK | Carolina | Win % |
| 1 | @ Atlanta | 50% |
| 2 | vs New Orleans | 50% |
| 3 | @ Seattle | 33% |
| 4 | vs Minnesota | 33% |
| 5 | @ Detroit | 33% |
| 6 | @ Miami | 20% |
| 7 | BYE | |
| 8 | vs Houston | 67% |
| 9 | vs Indianapolis | 57% |
| 10 | @ Chicago | 43% |
| 11 | vs Dallas | 33% |
| 12 | @ Tennessee | 43% |
| 13 | @ Tampa Bay | 43% |
| 14 | @ New Orleans | 33% |
| 15 | vs Atlanta | 57% |
| 16 | vs Green Bay | 43% |
| 17 | @ Jacksonville | 33% |
| 18 | vs Tampa Bay | 57% |
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