The Panthers have plenty of youth and athleticism on their roster right now. Starpower is one thing they’re pretty short on, though.
Last year, there were about a dozen high-profile players on the team, including a No. 1 overall pick and former MVP, an All-Pro, future hall of fame linebacker and a loaded, veteran-heavy defensive line. Five months later, this franchise has undergone a dramatic makeover and most of the big names have moved on in one way or another.
The challenges ahead in 2020 are often illustrated by the relatively few number of current Carolina players we see in league-wide rankings.
For example, Pete Prisco recently released his annual ranking of the top 100 players in the NFL. Running back Christian McCaffrey came in at No. 5 on his list but he was the only Panther on it. Here’s Prisco on No. 22:
“It’s tough for me to put a back up this high, but his ability to catch the football better than all the others makes him a dual-threat player, going over 1,000 in both rushing and receiving yards.”
While we have some issues with Prisco’s list, the top of it seems pretty appropriate.
Patrick Mahomes took the No. 1 spot as he should, followed by Aaron Donald, Russell Wilson and Michael Thomas.
It is a bit ambitious placing any running back so high (especially ahead of Lamar Jackson) but McCaffrey is a bit of a unicorn. There have been other great pass-catching backs before, but nobody has quite thrived at it the way he has. McCaffrey’s route running and abilities after the catch make him a unique threat for his position. We are very interested to see what offensive coordinator Joe Brady has planned for him.
For what it’s worth, wide receiver D.J. Moore was on Prisco’s rather extensive just-missed list. We’re expecting big things from him and Brian Burns this year.
