The Carolina Panthers improved from a two-win team in 2023 to 5-12 last year and are already 3-3 this season as they look to take the next step. They’ll be looking to head into week eight with a winning
record by inflicting another defeat on the winless Jets on Sunday.
The teams last met in the 2021 opener when Sam Darnold overcame Zach Wilson in his NFL debut to get the win over his previous team. Things have changed a lot for both teams since then, though.
Let’s break down the Panthers’ roster going position by position:
Quarterbacks
Bryce Young perhaps hasn’t lived up to his draft status after being the top overall pick in 2023, but he’s progressing each season and is putting up slightly better numbers than last year in 2025.
He is currently 6th in the NFC with 10 touchdown passes but has been under 200 passing yards in all but one of the Panthers’ games so far.
Andy Dalton in in his 3rd year in Carolina, where he has made six starts in the past two seasons as the backup.
Offensive Line
Once again, the Jets are facing a team who been forced into some changes on their offensive line. Center Austin Corbett and pro bowl right guard Robert Hunt began the season as starters but are currently on injured reserve. In addition, Chandler Zavala, who started two games in place of Hunt, is also on injured reserve.
This week, Corbett could potentially be activated as he’s been practicing and was given a questionable designation on Friday. However, left guard Damien Lewis is also questionable after being limited with a biceps injury during the week.
Cade Mays has been starting at center, having also done a decent job as Corbett’s replacement last season when he suffered a season-ending injury in the fifth game. Alongside him, Brady Christiansen has been starting at right guard since Zavala was injured.
Lewis, left tackle Ikem Ekwonu and right tackle Taylor Moton all started last season too, so the continuity is not bad. Ekwonu is making progress after an up and down rookie year that saw him commit 12 penalties and surrender seven sacks. Moton, who is also listed as questionable for Sunday, has spent his whole career with the Panthers since they drafted him in 2017, and he’s their highest paid player this year.
Nick Samac is the next man up at center with Jake Curhan at guard and Yosh Nijman at tackle.
Running Backs
Star running back Chuba Hubbard will return from injury this weekend to form a two-headed monster with Rico Dowdle. The pair each rushed for a thousand yards last year, with Dowdle still in Dallas.
While Hubbard was out, Dowdle had the two best games of his career with 203 yards against Miami and 183 against his old team. He’s averaging 5.8 yards per carry for the season.
Rookie Trevor Etienne, a fourth round pick, hasn’t seen much action but is averaging over five yards per carry. Deejay Dallas rounds out the rotation and can contribute on special teams.
Pass catchers
The Panthers have drafted Tetairoa McMillan and Xavier Legette in the first round in back-to-back seasons to boost their receiver room and give Young some high-upside pass catching options.
The McMillan pick is working out well as the rookie leads them in receiving with 27 catches. Legette, who caught 49 passes last year, is off to a slow start this season.
Hunter Renfrow is their best option out of the slot with Brycen Tremayne and sixth round rookie Jimmy Horn having been available as cover.
The Panthers also have David Moore and Jalen Coker, two players who caught 32 passes each in 2024, on injured reserve. Coker has been practicing this week and is apparently returning for Sunday’s game.
At tight end, Ja’Tavion Sanders is the starter after having caught 33 passes with three touchdowns as a rookie last year. However, Tommy Tremble has been the top producer at tight end this year with 16 receptions as Sanders has missed some time.
Fifth round rookie Mitchell Evans already has two touchdowns off the bench and James Mitchell is also available for depth.
Defensive Line
The Panthers have some talent on their defensive line with Derrick Brown, a 2023 pro bowler, being their highest paid defensive player. While no Panthers player has multiple sacks yet this year, Brown leads them with four quarterback hits.
A’Shawn Robinson is also a solid contributor, who racked up an impressive 80 tackles last season. He was also tied for the team lead with 5.5 sacks last season.
The other starter is Tershawn Wharton, but actually Bobby Brown III has played more than him due to injuries. Wharton is questionable again this week.
Fifth round rookie Cam Jackson, LaBryan Ray and Jaden Crumedy are also on the roster for depth but none of them have played 50 snaps so far this season.
Linebackers
Patrick Jones II and DJ Wonnum are the starters on the edge in the Panthers’ 3-4 system. Wonnum had four sacks last season, making him the only returning Panthers player other than Robinson with more than two. Jones has been ruled out for Sunday.
The starters at inside linebacker are Trevin Wallace and Christian Rozeboom, who currently leads Carolina with 43 tackles. None of the three reserves – Bam Martin-Scott, Maema Njongmeta and ex-Jet Claudin Cherelus – have played any snaps yet this year.
On the outside, the Panthers bolstered their depth on day two of the draft by drafting Nic Scourton in the second round and Princely Umanmielen in the third, so they could get a big chance with Jones out. Thomas Incoom is also on the roster.
Defensive Backs
At cornerback, the Panthers are led by Jaycee Horn and Mike Jackson, who combined for an impressive 30 pass breakups between them last year.
Chau Smith-Wade is their main slot option and had a pick-six earlier in the season. Also on the bench are undrafted rookie Corey Thornton and Akayleb Evans.
At safety, Tre’von Moehrig starts alongside Nick Scott. Moehrig leads the Panthers with five tackles for loss. Lathan Ransom was drafted in the fourth round and has been getting reps as the third safety with Demani Richardson also on the roster.
Special Teams
The Panthers have made a ton of changes to their special teams unit, starting with the kicking game where undrafted rookie Ryan Fitzgerald is now their placekicker and veteran punter Sam Martin was also brought in.
Fitzgerald has only missed one field goal and one extra point so far, and made the game-winner in their last game against Dallas. He’s already shown off his big leg with a successful 57-yarder this year.
Martin is now with his fourth team, having been in Buffalo for the past three season. While he is punting well, the Panthers have given up a ton of return yardage, including an 87-yard Marcus Jones touchdown. In all, opposing teams are averaging a league high 21 yards per punt return and the Panthers have given up more punt return yards than every team apart from the Eagles.
Changes to the coverage personnel have no doubt been a factor in that with Cherelus being one of their few returning contributors. Tremayne appears to be a good find at one gunner spot, with Evans manning the other spot. Incoom has also been producing well in kick coverage.
They haven’t had much success in the return game either. The longest kickoff return this year was a 35-yarder by Etienne and the longest punt return was a 13-yarder by Renfrow. Etienne is listed as the main returner on both kicks and punts with Dallas as the number two, Renfrow is also an option on punts and Dowdle can return kickoffs.
