Carolina Panthers training camp recap: Bryce Young, Diontae Johnson connect on Day 1

Bryce Young took a snap from under center in 11-on-11 drills on Wednesday, and as he performed a play-call action fake to his running back, pressure came veering in from his left side.

Though the pressure didn’t appear to be the result of a protection mishap, it was a familiar scene from last year’s disastrous rookie season. However, what Young did in response to the rushed pocket during the first training camp practice of 2024 — at least on this occasion — showed a sign of growth and confidence in the pocket that was somewhat lacking during the quarterback’s underwhelming rookie campaign.

With pass rusher K’Lavon Chaisson near him, Young made a subtle move in the pocket, stepped up and evaded the rush before launching the ball to the left side of the field where wide receiver Diontae Johnson — acquired in a trade in March — was streaking toward the sideline on an out route. Johnson was open by few paces, even after stumbling a bit out of his break, and caught the ball before floating out of bounds for first down and an ovation from the crowd.

Young — who went 6 of 9 in teams drills by The Observer’s count — mostly focused on short-yardage work, but the strike to Johnson was a positive development on Day 1 in Charlotte.

Young looked comfortable — even with added pressure — because he had a trusty, talented wideout open for a big play.

Johnson, who was named to a Pro Bowl in 2021, is expected to be the second-year quarterback’s top weapon.

“I think it’s just, for Bryce, learning this mover,” Panthers head coach Dave Canales said. “Diontae is a special mover. He’s really explosive, really fast through his turns. And so I’ve kind of watched them grow that chemistry, and of course, getting out here today is a step in building that.

“And really just the curiosity — you see that when Bryce’s reps are done, he’s walks right over and he’s talking to Diontae, to Adam (Thielen), just to make sure they’re on the same page for some of those things.”

Panthers to host two veteran pass rushers

The Panthers are expected to host veteran pass rushers, Carl Lawson and Yannick Ngakoue, for a workout this week, a league source told The Observer on Wednesday.

Lawson, a 2017 fourth-round pick of the Cincinnati Bengals, spent the past two seasons with the New York Jets. The 29-year-old has produced 27 career sacks in six years in the league. The 6-foot-2, 265-pound pass rusher was cut by New York this offseason.

Ngakoue, a 2016 third-round pick of the Jacksonville Jaguars, spent last season with the Chicago Bears. Ngakoue, a 2017 Pro Bowl selection, has collected 69 sacks and 21 forced fumbles in 123 career games over eight seasons. He also has a background with defensive line coach Todd Wash, who served as the defensive coordinator in Jacksonville when Ngakoue started his career there.

On Tuesday, general manager Dan Morgan said he was comfortable with the edge group that he brought to camp. However, the decision-maker also said that he would consistently look for ways to improve the roster.

The Panthers are light on edge talent at the moment, as D.J. Wonnum (quad) and Amare Barno (knee) are sidelined on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list, and D.J. Johnson recovers from an illness.

Play of the day

The first interception of training camp was collected by second-year safety Alex Cook in 7-on-7 drills.

Backup quarterback Andy Dalton threw a ball up the seam and Cook made a leaping grab ahead of a cluster of Panthers. Cook then returned the ball for a pretty long gain the other way.

Cook, who was signed midway through last season, started as an injury replacement in his first NFL game last year. He played well with occasional defensive snaps throughout his rookie year after making an impression on the staff.

Following the return of Xavier Woods and signing of Jordan Fuller, Cook appears to be battling for a backup role in a crowded safety unit. Cook is challenging the likes of Sam Franklin, Nick Scott and Jammie Robinson for a role on special teams and defense this summer.

Quick hits

▪ Chuba Hubbard and Miles Sanders are competing for snaps at the top of the Panthers’ running back rotation. On Wednesday, both players had some explosive moments. While Sanders dropped a pass in 11-on-11 drills, he also had a 20-plus yard gain around the edge on a hand-off later in practice. Hubbard caught a ball in the flat and then broke out for a pair of strong totes.

Hubbard has the top job in his grasp. It’ll be on Sanders to try to wrestle the job away from him in camp and the preseason.

▪ Wide receiver Jalen Coker and cornerback Chau Smith-Wade took part in practice on Wednesday after being cleared from the PUP list on Tuesday afternoon. Wonnum, Barno, wide receiver Cam Sims and offensive tackle Yosh Nijman remain on the PUP list but were all present for the practice.

Rookie running back Jonathon Brooks (knee) remains on the non-football injury (NFI) list as well. He was also present during practice.

▪ Defensive lineman Popo Aumavae left practice on a cart with an apparent right leg injury. The 25-year-old undrafted rookie was taking part in individual drills when he fell to the ground and was assisted by trainers off the field.

▪ Kicker Eddy Piñeiro made all five of his field goal attempts on the first day of camp. His longest came from roughly 52 yards away. He is competing with rookie kicker Harrison Mevis for the top job this summer.

▪ Rookie quarterback Jack Plummer didn’t need to wait too long for team drill reps. On Wednesday, he threw a handful of passes, including an impressive connection with former UFL wide receiver Daewood Davis. Plummer threw the ball into a tight window to Davis up the seam and the wide receiver clamped down on the ball with defenders bookmarking him to both sides. In a relatively uneventful practice, that passing play stood out.

▪ Some traditions never die: Hubbard and tight end Tommy Tremble worked on the JUGs machine for more than 20 minutes after practice. The pair did that exercise after every workout in Spartanburg, S.C., last year as well. This time around, tight end Jordan Matthews joined them for work on the machine. Cornerbacks Jaycee Horn and Dicaprio Bootle and outside linebacker K’Lavon Chaisson also stuck around to get some additional work after practice.

▪ Wide receiver Xavier Legette, a first-round draft pick, had a pretty quiet first day of camp. He ran a couple of end arounds in team drills, but was otherwise held in check. Following practice, he even mentioned to the media that he felt he had a rough outing.

▪ The Panthers’ next training camp practice will begin at 9:30 a.m. on Thursday. The practice is sold out for fan attendance, according to the team.

▪ The Charlotte Observer will host a special night with Panthers legend Mike Rucker on Monday, Aug. 5, at OMB Ballantyne (15025 Bowl Street Charlotte, NC 28277). Join Fowler, Kaye, Zietlow and Rucker as they take a look at the past, present and future of the Carolina franchise. Tickets are currently $5 for Charlotte Observer subscribers.

Proceeds from the event will go toward the Best Defense Foundation, a charity founded by former NFL linebacker Donnie Edwards in 2018. OMB Ballantyne also will make a donation to the foundation based on customers rounding up their check totals during the month of August.

▪ Follow The Observer’s Panthers beat reporters, Mike Kaye (@mike_e_kaye) and Alex Zietlow (@alexzietlow05), and sports columnist, Scott Fowler (@scott_fowler), on “X”, formerly known as Twitter for the latest news and highlights.