This offseason, the Carolina Panthers have been extremely busy. They have attempted to address every issue that plagued the 2-15 squad from the previous season. To make Bryce Young’s life considerably easier this time around, they signed a number of offensive linemen and drafted a tonne of offensive skills. The focus and excitement surrounding this draft class will mostly centre around two players selected by Carolina in the first round of the draft: Xavier Legette and Jonathan Brooks. Ja’Tavion Sanders, though, appears to be a sleeper who can provide the Panthers with instant assistance in 2024.

Over the past few years, the Texas Longhorns’ offensive line has produced a staggering amount of talent. Sanders nevertheless received his fair share of touches in spite of this. Sanders recorded 99 receptions for 1,295 yards and seven touchdowns in his two seasons at Austin.

Those are quite good figures, especially in light of the fact that he had to fight for touches in that offence with players like Bijan Robinson, Roschon Johnson, Jonathan Brooks, Xavier Worthy, Adonai Mitchell, Jordan Whittington, and Keilan Robinson. In the previous two seasons, every one of those guys was drafted into the NFL.

Sanders gained the second-most yards of any tight end since 2022 with 1,295 yards. Brock Bowers of Georgia (1,656) had the most. Sanders, who stands 6-foot-4 and weighs 243 pounds, presents a significant threat to his quarterback in the open field with to his sure hands and quickness.
For the majority of the draft, Sanders was projected as a second-round selection; however, he underperformed during selection. That was probably brought on by a lacklustre performance at the NFL combine. His performance on sports-related tests such as SPORQ and RAS was below average. Sanders’ testing may prevent him from reaching his full potential because tight end production in the NFL often positively correlates with athleticism at the position.
He was probably selected in the start of the fourth round of the draft because of this. Sanders would be a phenomenal athlete in a perfect world. He is still a great football player, though, and the Panthers shouldn’t have been able to acquire him at that point. He was a bargain draft selection who might make an immediate impact on the field.

Ways to get into the game
Sanders is entering a small space that isn’t very sturdy. It included youthful players like Ian Thomas, Tommy Tremble, and Stephen Sullivan, who have never found steady playing time in their careers, and seasoned journeyman Hayden Hurst from the previous season. Last season, all four of these individuals alternated at that position, and none of them seemed to have the solution. Together, they hauled in 58 receptions for 559 yards and four scores.

It’s easy to understand why Sanders was given priority by the Panthers at the start of Day 3. In his two seasons at Texas, he amassed more receiving yards than all four of those players combined in the previous campaign. Especially with a rookie quarterback who needs a safety blanket in the centre of the field, Carolina lacked a trustworthy tight end option.
Next season, the Panthers ought to be much better. With the offseason additions of Robert Hunt and Damien Lewis, their offensive line saw a significant improvement. Sanders shouldn’t be disregarded, but Diontae Johnson, Legette, and Brooks will also add some much-needed juice and explosion. He can offer stability at the tight end and assist in keeping the chains moving.

This offseason, Dave Canales, the new head coach, has a lot of fresh tools at his disposal. It will be interesting to see how he combines them all in 2024.