The Carolina Panthers have finalized the first iteration of their 53-man roster for the 2025 season. After trading wide receiver Adam Thielen and claiming wide receiver Dalevon Campbell and defensive back Damarri Mathis, the Panthers now look toward their Week 1 matchup against Jacksonville. Here is how I could see them lining up.
Offense
Quaterback
- Bryce Young
- Andy Dalton
No surprises here. This is likely Bryce’s last chance to silence the critics, and he’s been put in a good spot to succeed.
Runningback
- Chuba Hubbard
- Rico Dowdle
- Trevor Etienne
Another straightforward position group with Hubbard
and Dowdle as the main bell cows. Etienne is a nice change of pace guy but won’t get too many touches.
X Receiver
- Tetairoa McMillan
- David Moore
- Dalevon Campbell
The X receiver is the number one guy who is often alone on one side of the field. While McMillan can (and likely will) move around, this is where I picture him most often. Campbell also has the prototypical X receiver frame.
Z Receiver
- Xavier Legette
- Brycen Tremayne
With McMillan taking the X receiver reps, Legette can now become the de facto Z receiver out wide but not alone on that side of the field. This will allow him to use the other receiver(s) on that side to help get open against man and zone.
Y Receiver
- Jalen Coker
- Jimmy Horn Jr
Jalen Coker should line up in the Adam Thielen role and perform quite well there. Bryce has good chemistry with the second year receiver who showed a ton of potential in the slot last season. Horn could also be a gimmick play slot guy.
Tight End
- Ja’Tavion Sanders
- Tommy Tremble
- Mitchell Evans
- James Mitchell
My guess is they ease Tremble back into the fray since he’s recovering from back surgery. Once he’s ready to go full bore, James Mitchell may be cut. In the meantime, he does provide more of the power tight end style compared to Sanders and Evans who are more finesse tight ends.
Left Tackle
- Ikem Ekwonu
- Brady Christensen*
Same as last year. Nothing else to say really. Christensen is likely the first guy off the bench for four or five of the offensive line spots should someone get hurt.
Left Guard
- Damien Lewis
- Chandler Zavala*
If the Panthers want to keep Christensen at tackle, then Zavala will likely get the nod at either guard position.
Center
- Austin Corbett
- Cade Mays
In a pinch, Mays could also be a backup at either guard spot.
Right Guard
- Robert Hunt
- Chandler Zavala*
Again, Zavala could be the guard called on to plug into either side of the line when needed.
Right Tackle
- Taylor Moton
- Brady Christensen*
- Yosh Nijman
I really hope Christensen would be the one to replace Moton if needed. Christensen is a better player overall, so unless he’s playing another spot on the line already, he should be the backup at right tackle as well. Nothing against Nijman, Christensen is just better.
Defense
Down Lineman
- Derrick Brown
- A’Shawn Robinson
- Tershawn Wharton
- Bobby Brown III
- Cam Jackson
- Jaden Crumedy
Ejiro Evero likes to rotate his linemen, but I see the first four getting the majority of snaps unless injuries force the other two into the lineup.
Edge Rusher
- DJ Wonnum
- Pat Jones II
- Princely Umanmielen
- Nic Scourton
- Thomas Incoom
- DJ Johnson
I think the veterans will start most games, but that does not mean they’ll play the most snaps. As Umanmielen and Scourton get adjusted to the pro game, I think they’ll start to take a fair amount of pass rush snaps.
Off-Ball Linebacker
- Christian Rozeboom
- Trevin Wallace
- Claudin Cherelus
- Bam Martin-Scott
Evero’s defense usually only uses two off-ball linebackers on the field at one time, but this is an extremely thin group. I could see the Panthers looking to add to this group at some point. The goal would be to not have Cherelus or Martin-Scott getting many defensive snaps.
Field Corner
- Jaycee Horn
- Corey Thornton
Field corner is your rangiest corner with top notch coverage skills because he has to cover more ground to the field side. Horn is the undisputed best corner on the team, and Thornton showed out in camp and preseason. I think the Panthers would keep Mike Jack on the boundary side even if Horn gets banged up.
Boundary Corner
- Mike Jackson
- Damarri Mathis*
- Akayleb Evans
The boundary corner is lined up on the short side of the field, so they can be a bit more aggressive in coverage. I like Mike Jack in that role where he can use his aggressiveness and press skills. Mathis was a starter for Evero a couple years ago, so I think he’ll be above Evans on the depth chart.
Slot Corner
- Chau Smith-Wade
- Damarri Mathis*
Smith-Wade has looked a lot better in his second year, so I think he’ll be the main slot corner. I could also see Mathis playing in the slot in dime packages, especially since he’s a little shorter than what Evero prefers in his outside corners.
Strong Safety
- Tre’von Moehrig
- Demani Richardson
Moehrig is the more box safety type, so he’ll likely be designated as the strong safety. Richardson has also shown some promise the last couple of preseasons, so I like having him as Moehrig’s backup.
Free Safety
- Lathan Ransom
- Nick Scott
Yes, I think Ransom will end up being the starting free safety. The dude just has a knack for finding the football. Nick Scott is serviceable but is better served as a backup, veteran voice, and special teams ace.
Specialists
Kicker
- Ryan Fitzgerald
The Panthers cut Matthew Wright and didn’t claim any kickers off waivers, so it seems like it’s Fitzgerald’s job at least to start the season. One less heralded part of the kicking competition was Fitzgerald’s kickoff ability. He did a fantastic job of limiting the opposing returners by landing tough to catch kicks in the landing zone.
Punter
- Sam Martin
Obviously
Long Snapper
- JJ Jansen
At this point, Jansen might just play until he’s 80 before finally hanging them up. Safe to say he’s got this spot locked up until he decides he’s done.
Kick Returner
- Trevor Etienne
- Jimmy Horn Jr
While the Panthers website has Dowdle and Moore listed first, I think the Panthers would prefer to get the ball in the hands of more dynamic playmakers on kickoffs. Etienne showed some promise as a returner, and Horn is a homerun waiting to happen.
Punt Returner
- Trevor Etienne
- Jimmy Horn Jr
Basically copy and paste the explanation for kick returner. I do think David Moore might slide in here at some point if Canales wants a more sure-handed player back there, but Etienne looked incredibly good with the ball in his hands in the preseason.
