The Carolina Panthers had been seen as a group that was going nowhere quick heading into the 2024 season. The broader total consensus was that the group’s entrance workplace had made a big blunder by buying and selling away property to safe the primary within the 2023 NFL Draft and utilizing that premium choice so as to add Bryce Younger as an alternative of CJ Stroud, who has seemed like a borderline MVP within the first two years of his profession.
Nonetheless, that narrative has flipped fully through the 2024 season. After getting off to a gradual begin, Younger has made stunning enhancements and has emerged as a bonafide top-15 quarterback within the league.
Younger’s efficiency is sustainable, and the Panthers may reap the advantages subsequent season. Let’s take a look at 4 the reason why this group may begin making noise within the postseason ahead of anticipated.
Xavier Legette
Each star quarterback wants a working mate on the receiver place that they’ll belief to make large performs. Legette is shortly turning into that man in Carolina, and Younger has began relying extra closely on the younger receiver down the stretch. Legette has sturdy palms and a capability to create separation and alter to the ball within the air.
Legette has respectable peak and weight measurements, however he actually excels together with his velocity. The proficient rookie has hit a prime velocity of greater than 22 miles per hour already this season and typically appears to be like like a rookie model of Tyreek Hill on the sector.
We noticed what Hill may do for a quarterback in Kansas Metropolis as he helped Patrick Mahomes develop right into a famous person. Whereas Mahomes has confirmed to be nice with any receiving corps, he had a particular potential to make large performs by throwing the ball to Hill deep down the sector and letting the speedster make large performs.
Younger isn’t anyplace close to the extent of quarterback that Mahomes is, particularly by way of explosiveness and massive play potential. However he is actually making spectacular progress, even when he is not close to Mahomes’ tier of superstars.
No matter Younger’s final ceiling, although, having a deep menace like Legette, who can take the highest off a protection with, ease is sort of the luxurious for any sign caller. That is very true for a younger quarterback who continues to be rising into his personal as a participant and as a frontrunner.
Younger has loads of intangibles
Talking of management, that’s one factor that Younger has all the time exhibited. It doesn’t matter what else is happening and the way he performs on the sector on any given Sunday, maturity, and management are two issues Younger has in spades. That’s one of many causes that the group felt snug taking him with the primary total choice within the draft forward of fellows reminiscent of Ohio State’s CJ Stroud and Kentucky’s Will Levis.
Younger’s management will present a gradual hand whereas the group goes via the inevitable ups and downs whereas creating right into a postseason contender chasing convention championships and Tremendous Bowl rings.
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The Panthers are gaining beneficial expertise
Whereas Younger has proven spectacular enchancment, nobody particular person participant could make that a lot of a distinction and enhance a group to contender standing, no matter how good they’re.
Nonetheless, there may be one other vital motive why the Panthers will be capable to construct on their expertise subsequent season and make the soar from a group drafting within the top-8 into a reputable playoff contender.
What’s going to actually propel the group to new heights is the expertise that they’re gaining this season. The star quarterback from Alabama and his teammates are beginning their careers collectively and can proceed rising alongside one another for a lot of seasons to return. Younger is studying methods to maximize the talent units and skills of Legette and his different upcoming playmakers.
The group’s offensive linemen are studying methods to work collectively in addition to they give the impression of being to maintain Younger upright, and the quarterback is studying what his line’s strengths and weaknesses are, too. This may assist the road make higher blocking selections to maintain stress off of Younger.
This expertise will even assist the previous Alabama star make higher selections so far as when to remain within the pocket, when to bail and throw on the run, when to tuck and run to realize yardage himself, and when to only throw the ball away so as to dwell to combat one other day.
The Panthers have one other top-10 decide
Whereas the Panthers have gained beneficial expertise, this season was all in regards to the group working their approach via the steep studying curve that’s growth on the skilled degree. They’ve taken their lumps this 12 months, and their report displays that.
This isn’t a nasty factor by any means, because the group is studying methods to win, and this can serve them nicely sooner or later whereas additionally giving them another likelihood so as to add a dynamic playmaker.
With the eighth-overall choice on this 12 months’s draft, they’ll virtually actually be capable to add an influence offensive lineman or defensive participant. Kelvin Banks Jr. might be obtainable, Will Johnson is a chance, and Mason Graham ought to even nonetheless be on the board as nicely.