Why Bryce Young is ‘fired up’ about Panthers’ NFL Draft, and what roster needs remain

Carolina Panthers leadership made clear that the NFL Draft was less about building around second-year quarterback Bryce Young and more about elevating the entire team.

Young appears to be pretty satisfied anyway.

Head coach Dave Canales, after the team’s final pick on Saturday, told reporters that he and Young had exchanged a few short texts throughout the three days of the draft — and that Young really liked the moves the franchise made.

“He’s really excited about what we’ve done from the responses that I’ve gotten from him,” Canales said of Young. “He’s very fired up about what we’ve put together.”

The Panthers, in many respects, did what they could to build playmaking depth on an offense that struggled in pretty much every major category in 2023. They traded up in the first round to get the big-and-fast wide receiver Xavier Legette, securing his fifth-year option in the process. They then took who they consider to be the best running back in the draft in Jonathon Brooks out of Texas in the second round before selecting athletic tight end Ja’Tavion Sanders in the fourth.

No matter how you look at it, that is substantial investment in offensive playmaking. It’s also complementary roster building after shoring up the interior offensive line in free agency.

“If you specifically talk about the offense, just looking positionally with a running back, a receiver and a tight end skill-wise, (we’re) really bringing in a little bit of juice there to really challenge that whole group and elevate the offense,” Canales said. “So I’m really excited about what we did there.”

As of the final pick of the NFL Draft, the Panthers had 77 players on their roster. That means the franchise had 13 spots open to bring in potential undrafted free agents and/or others over the course of the preseason.

Here’s a look at a few other lingering questions the Panthers still have when it comes to their roster.

What about adding a center?

One position on offense that ostensibly still needs addressing is center — if not for immediate need, for succession planning.

After releasing Bradley Bozeman at the start of free agency this year and spending a bunch of money on interior linemen Damien Lewis and Robert Hunt, the team announced that the plan is to move veteran Austin Corbett to the center position. Corbett, who’s coming off back-to-back seasons that saw knee injuries limit his time on the field, said the transition thus far has been painless and natural and easy.

Still, should the Panthers add an extra center?

General manager Dan Morgan said it’s a possibility — just like adding anyone to challenge the roster is a possibility — but that he and the team feel good about their depth at center.

“We feel really good about Austin Corbett there at center,” Morgan said. “I think he’s progressing well, and I think Dave would say the same thing to you guys. I think him, along with Brady Christensen, he’s been getting some snaps at center, we feel like he has some potential there as well. So we feel good about it. But we’re always going to be looking to challenge our roster and get better and create that competition. So we’re not going to close the door on bringing somebody else in.”

Are the Panthers closer to bringing Stephon Gilmore back?

The Panthers spent four of their seven picks on defense, but only one in the defensive secondary — a mild surprise considering the obvious need at cornerback. The defensive back they took was Chau Smith-Wade out of Washington State in the fifth round.

So is Stephon Gilmore still an option?

The veteran cornerback’s name has floated in the Carolina offseason conversation really since the arrival of Jadeveon Clowney, who told reporters when he first arrived that Gilmore was interested of returning to the Carolinas to play for his hometown team. Gilmore, 33, is fresh off one of his healthiest and most prolific seasons with the Dallas Cowboys.

“We’re really excited about Chau,” Morgan said when asked about the defensive secondary. “Chau is a guy who can play inside, he can play outside. So we like his versatility. He’s good on special teams. I think he’s a guy who can really contribute and make us better. I think, obviously, at every position, we’re going to look to improve, not just the corner position but again, we’re going to try to create depth and competition everywhere.

“And as far as Stephon, we’re not going to close the door on anything, and we’ll continue to talk and explore and see where that goes.”

Is Carolina’s running back room too crowded?

The drafting of running Jonathon Brooks raised a common response: Are the Panthers looking to move on from part of their backfield?

Brooks joined a running back room that included Chuba Hubbard and Miles Sanders earlier this week. Canales on Saturday said that he plans to play all three of his running backs — just like he did in Tampa Bay — because he is stubborn about running the ball and the position is such a violent one. Morgan largely reiterated the same point, adding that he and the staff loved what each of them could bring.

He was asked specifically about Sanders and his trade possibilities.

“In terms of Miles, we love Miles,” he said. “We see a big role for him. I think Dave would tell you the same, that we think really highly of Miles. We love Miles. He can do a lot for our offense. He’s versatile in the pass game. And he’s a good runner. So we’re excited about him as well.”

What do they need in undrafted free agency?

The Panthers’ draft philosophy was simple: Take the best player available. You saw that in their seven picks — the Panthers selecting versatile playmakers as opposed to honing in on positions of need, like cornerback or EDGE rusher or center.

That philosophy seems like it will continue to guide them as they head into undrafted free agency and the rest of the offseason.

“I think in undrafted free agency, obviously we’re going to count numbers, and we have specific numbers at each position that we’re trying to get to to get to fill out the 90-man roster,” Morgan said. “Right now, as we’re speaking, the guys are back there, they’re on the phones with agents, trying to recruit players and just fill the roster out. ... Not just fill the numbers out, but fill our roster with great players, great competitors, just the type of people that we want in our program.”