Carolina Panthers’ 53-man roster projection: How many WRs, RBs will Dave Canales keep?

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The Panthers’ preseason is complete. So, now it’s time for Carolina’s front office to do its job.

General manager Dan Morgan, head coach Dave Canales, and their respective staffs have overseen a 90-man roster throughout the summer, collecting evaluations on the depth chart in training camp and during the team’s exhibition slate. While the formerly 2-15 squad has had a lot of turnover, Carolina still needs to figure out the best mix of talent to bring into Week 1.

With the No. 1 priority on the waiver wire, Morgan will need to be strategic with how he crafts his initial 53-man roster, and plan for likely changes from multiple claims. If the Panthers want a player on waivers, they’ll get him, so the initial 53-man roster is more of a construction milestone than a finalization of the talent pool.

Here is our final 53-man roster projection ahead of the cut-down deadline:

Quarterback (2, 2)

Bryce Young, Andy Dalton

Analysis: Young has looked much improved during the final weeks of camp and the preseason. Really, his 2024 training camp was exponentially more promising than his 2023 summer in Spartanburg, S.C. With that said, it seems like Young is throwing the ball with more confidence this year. He has also improved his accuracy, from the outside looking in, on throws that he appeared to struggle with last season.

Dalton, the veteran backup, was sidelined for the majority of camp with a quad injury. He’s seemingly on the mend, and he should be a faithful and experienced sounding board for Young and the young coaching staff this year.

Running back (4, 6)

Chuba Hubbard, Miles Sanders, Raheem Blackshear, Mike Boone

NFI: Jonathon Brooks

Analysis: Hubbard has been and will be at the top of the running back rotation this year. He has earned that right, and in the final year of his rookie contract, Hubbard should take advantage of as many touches as he can.

Behind Hubbard is Sanders, who has had a solid summer. Look for Sanders to spell Hubbard as a change-of-pace back and on third down in obvious passing situations.

Blackshear, despite skipping the entire preseason, appears to be the primary kick returner. Boone, who can also return kicks, has been a standout contributor on special teams and offense this summer. While the Panthers could always cut Boone and bring him back without the risk of the waiver wire — he’s a vested veteran — the journeyman running back has performed well enough to say he’s earned placement on the 53-man roster.

Brooks, the team’s second-round pick, would need to miss at least the first four games of his rookie season if he were to be placed on the reserve/non-football injury (NFI) list. The Panthers don’t need to rush him onto the field with Hubbard and Sanders able to carry the load.

Wide receiver (7, 13)

Diontae Johnson, Adam Thielen, Jonathan Mingo, Xavier Legette, Terrace Marshall Jr., David Moore, Jalen Coker

Analysis: Johnson, Thielen and Mingo have all had strong summers. Johnson looks like a true No. 1 wideout, while Thielen has continued to be Mr. Reliable in the slot. Mingo, last year’s second-round pick, has taken a massive step forward in his second summer with the Panthers, and he will still be a very big contributor, even with the first-round selection of Legette.

Speaking of the Day 1 draft pick, Legette battled through a foot injury for the majority of the preseason. However, this past week, he looked fast running routes down the field in practice. Look for Legette to be peppered into the offense early before taking over one of the top three roles by October — or at worst, November.

Marshall has had a phenomenal performance during training camp. After three years of performance setbacks, Marshall has shown the upside of his second-round pick pedigree. The issue for him, and really Carolina, is that he is still probably fifth in the wideout pecking order, and he doesn’t really play on special teams.

Look for the Panthers to shop Marshall on the trade market after they showcased him in the second half of Saturday’s preseason finale.

Even if the Panthers keep Marshall — potentially due to a lack of trade interest — look for Moore to also stick around. Moore, who can play all three receiver positions, is a longtime Canales pupil, and he has had a nice summer. Plus, Moore plays on special teams and can return kicks and punts — which makes him valuable as a deep-depth wideout.

If the Panthers go heavy on wideout with Marshall staying, Coker would probably get the call to stay over receiver/return Ihmir Smith-Marsette, as the team could save $1 million in cap space by moving on from the returner/receiver. With Blackshear sticking as the primary kick returner, the Panthers would also probably be less inclined to keep another returner-first offensive player among the wide receiver group.

Coker hasn’t really lived up to the considerable hype that the internet draft community has bestowed on him, but he still has plenty of upside due to his size and small-school learning curve. Carolina likely to doesn’t want to expose Coker to waivers — especially after his promising performance against the Bills in the preseason finale.

Tight end (4, 17)

Tommy Tremble, Ja’Tavion Sanders, Ian Thomas, Jordan Matthews

Analysis: Tremble will likely be the starter to begin the season. The 2021 third-round pick has grown in each of his first three years with the Panthers. The staff is hoping Tremble, who dealt with a hamstring injury throughout training camp, can take another step forward in a contract year.

Sanders, this year’s fourth-round pick, has flashed in practice and in the preseason. He has improved as a run blocker, and he should see some action as a rookie — perhaps as early as Week 1.

Thomas is sidelined with a calf injury. The Panthers could make Thomas one of the team’s two immediate “designated for return” entries on injured reserve at the cut deadline. For now, though, it doesn’t seem like he will need to miss four weeks, so that probably won’t happen.

Jordan Matthews, who has had a really impressive summer, will probably fill Thomas’s spot if the veteran is still recovering from injury in Week 1. Matthews, a 32-year-old wide receiver-turned-tight end, scored a touchdown on Saturday after starting with the first-team offense against the Bills. He’s a fun story, but he could easily be cut if the Panthers make multiple claims on the waiver wire on Wednesday, as expected.

Offensive line (9, 26)

Ikem Ekwonu (LT), Damien Lewis (LG), Austin Corbett (C), Robert Hunt (RG), Taylor Moton (RT), Brady Christensen, Cade Mays, Chandler Zavala, Yosh Nijman

Analysis: The starting five has been set since March. The Panthers paid big money to land Lewis and Hunt as upgrades at guard, and they’ve moved Corbett, the former starting right guard, to center. While Moton has had his reps monitored in training camp, the Panthers have been keeping him involved in individual drills with regularity.

Christensen, the former starting left guard, has been a main backup at the guard and tackle spots. He’s essentially the line’s unofficial sixth man. With injuries becoming the norm on offensive lines across the league, it’s probably safe to expect that Christensen will come in handy at some point this season.

Nijman, who was signed to a relatively large two-year deal in free agency, was just taken off the physically unable to perform (PUP) list on Thursday. Nijman is coming off a leg injury, and now he can be brought along slowly over the next few weeks in practice. Given Christensen’s versatility, Nijman can return to the field at his own pace, without losing the first four games of the season on the reserve/PUP list.

Mays has served as the team’s main backup center throughout most of the summer. While he is dealing with a shoulder injury, he has been a regular in uniform at practice, even if he has worked off to the side. Even if he’s slated for an injured reserve stint, expect the team to hold onto him through the cut-down deadline.

Zavala, last year’s fourth-round pick, has been among the most improved players on the offense this summer. Like draft classmates, Mingo and Young, Zavala has bounced back from a really rough rookie season.

Defensive line (5, 31)

Derrick Brown, Shy Tuttle, A’Shawn Robinson, Nick Thurman, T.J. Smith

IR: Jaden Crumedy (ankle)

Analysis: Brown, Tuttle and Robinson make a formidable starting front on defense. With the addition of Robinson, it’s safe to expect the run defense to improve this season.

Thurman is a versatile holdover from last year, while Smith has been among the biggest winners of the summer. Smith was excellent in the preseason, and his work in training camp practice hasn’t gone unnoticed.

Crumedy, the team’s sixth-round pick, could be redshirted with ankle injury sustained in the first preseason game. LaBryan Ray and Jordan Peevy should be prime practice-squad additions if they pass through waivers unclaimed.

Inside linebacker (5, 36)

Shaq Thompson, Josey Jewell, Trevin Wallace, Claudin Cherelus, Chandler Wooten

IR: Tae Davis

Analysis: Thompson and Jewell are set to lead a relatively strong depth chart at inside linebacker. The veteran pair should be able to command the defense and set up the unit for success.

Behind those starters, Wallace, this year’s third-round pick, is clamoring for a big role. Wallace has been among the biggest standouts of camp, and he should be on the field with regularity this season. Look for Wallace to be used in nickel and dime packages to begin his first campaign in Carolina.

Cherelus is coming off a successful preseason stint. Known as a special teams ace, Cherelus has improved as a defender, and he should see the benefits of that growth when it comes to earning a game-day role.

Davis, a noted special teams ace, injured his foot in the second preseason matchup against the New York Jets. The team could keep him through the cut-down deadline and then place him on IR in order for him to return later in the campaign. But that outcome would depend on his injury timeline.

If Davis goes on IR immediately (as projected), look for Chandler Wooten, a promising special teams player with defensive upside, to stick to the initial group.

Outside linebacker (4, 40)

Jadeveon Clowney, D.J. Johnson, Eku Leota, K’Lavon Chaisson

IR: Cam Gill (hand/ankle)

PUP: D.J. Wonnum (quad), Amare Barno (knee)

Analysis: Clowney has been phenomenal in practice. The Panthers can expect big things from the Rock Hill, S.C., native as long as he stays healthy. From there, though, the expectations should fall off a cliff, at least from a pass-rushing perspective.

Johnson, last year’s third-round pick, is a run defender. It’s hard to convince anyone on the outside that Johnson has upside as a pass rusher, but defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero favors his ability to set the edge. Johnson should get another year to grow in the system.

Leota has upside as a pass rusher, even if he hasn’t collected sacks in the preseason. Still, he’s cheap and can play on special teams as he develops on defense.

With Wonnum and Barno both probably headed to the reserve/PUP list, the Panthers need a fourth edge rusher. Chaisson, who signed in free agency, hasn’t done much to stand out, but he’s a worthwhile, experienced placeholder in case the team can’t come up with an upgrade on the waiver wire.

Leota and/or Chaisson could be cut if the Panthers trade for upgraded pass rusher depth before or after the cut deadline.

Gill had an impressive sack on Saturday, but he left the game on a cart with an ankle injury. He had already missed the majority of the summer workouts with a broken hand.

Cornerback (5, 45)

Jaycee Horn, Troy Hill, Mike Jackson, Chau Smith-Wade, D’Shawn Jamison

IR (designated for return): Dane Jackson (hamstring)

Analysis: With Dane Jackson set to be sidelined for roughly a month with a hamstring injury, the Panthers are probably going to make him one of the two “designated for return” injured reserve entries at the cut deadline.

Horn and Hill will be two of the three starters at corner, with the former handling the top outside job and the latter working in the nickel spot. The team traded for Mike Jackson on Thursday, and he is likely to be the fill-in at No. 2 corner with Dane Jackson sidelined. Mike Jackson has started 21 career games in the NFL and has desirable size to play on the outside.

Smith-Wade, this year’s fifth-round pick, will be the top backup at the nickel position. He could also find work on the outside in sub-packages.

The fifth and final spot will come down to Jamison and Dicaprio Bootle. While Bootle has more experience and arguably played as well on defense in the preseason, Jamison has return ability. Bootle also didn’t have a strong finale against Buffalo, which plays into his evaluation.

With Mike Jackson in the mix, the team is less pressed for defensive help and more likely to want to improve its return game. If Smith-Marsette doesn’t make the roster, look for Jamison to be the team’s secondary kick returner.

Safety (5, 50)

Xavier Woods, Jordan Fuller, Nick Scott, Alex Cook, Demani Richardson

IR (designated for return): Sam Franklin (foot)

Analysis: Woods, Fuller and Scott are all considered starters, according to Evero. While Woods battled a groin injury for roughly a week in camp, the veteran was able to make it back onto the practice field on Thursday. If Woods is good to go for Week 1, the Panthers can keep strong numbers at the position.

With Woods, Fuller and Scott handling the main roles, look for the Panthers to keep Cook as a special teams ace/deep depth option. Richardson, an undrafted rookie, had an excellent preseason to wrap up the summer. Look for the Panthers to try to avoid exposing him to waivers.

This projection doesn’t include last year’s fifth-round pick, Jammie Robinson, who has special teams upside and secondary versatility. While Robinson is clearly an NFL-worthy player, he appeared to be bested by Cook and Richardson this summer on defense. Robinson vs. Richardson is probably more of a toss up than anything, but Canales and Evero have both emphasized the importance of turnovers — so we’ll give the ball-hawking rookie the nod.

Franklin is expected to be sidelined for a while with a broken foot. A stint on injured reserve, with the second “designated for return” tag, makes sense.

Special teams (3, 53)

JJ Jansen (LS), Johnny Hekker (P), Eddy Piñeiro (K)

Analysis: The specialist trio has been solidified since the second week of camp. Piñeiro’s preseason finale hamstring injury is worth monitoring, but Canales said he was fine enough to kick later in the game.

The Panthers would save $1.80 million on the salary cap by cutting Piñeiro.