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ESPN names 3 players to watch at Panthers training camp
ESPN names 3 players to watch at Panthers training camp
Thursday proved to be a very auspicious start to training camp for the Carolina Panthers—who lost one of their top edge rushers, Nic Scourton, to an ACL tear during the very first summer practice.
But as devastating as that news is, it's still very early in the year—and there's a lot to be hopeful about for the reigning NFC South champions.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementGoing into training camp, ESPN listed three Panthers players worth watching—beginning with fourth-year starting quarterback Bryce Young:
He's coming off the best season of his three-year career, the first one when he eclipsed 3,000 yards and 20 touchdown passes. Young led the Panthers to the playoffs for the first time since 2017. But there are still questions about Young as a franchise quarterback. His EPA per dropback (-0.08) ranked third-worst among QBs with at least 500 dropbacks and his QBR (47.6) was 25th in the league.
Young's development is obviously the biggest story for the Panthers in 2026, and the greatest x-factor in deciding how far they will go. The former No. 1 overall pick is looking to build on his solid 2025 campaign, where he threw for career-highs across the board while leading the organization to their first playoff appearance since 2017.
There are several other key young players for Carolina who should also have an impact on where they finish. ESPN goes on to name second-year outside linebacker Princely Umanmielen:
As a rookie, Umanmielen showed flashes despite only having 1.5 sacks. Now, he has much more help. The Panthers signed edge rusher Jaelan Phillips in an attempt to ignite a sleepy pass rush that finished third worst in sacks (30). Phillips was 10th in QB pressure rate among players with at least 200 pass-rush snaps and new inside linebacker Devin Lloyd was effective on blitzes. With an expected increase in playing time, Umanmielen could be a breakout candidate.
With Scourton done for the season, it's even more important that Umanmielen takes a step forward. While his numbers during the regular season were nothing to write home about, the 2025 third-rounder did flash some excellent potential in his limited burn.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementLast but not least, ESPN took time to mention Tommy Tremble, who is at the top of perhaps the worst tight end depth chart in the NFL right now:
The Panthers have three solid tight ends -- Tremble, Ja'Tavion Sanders and Mitchell Evans -- but no one who lights the world on fire, proverbially speaking. There have been rumblings that Carolina could make a trade to improve the room, perhaps acquiring someone who could aid Young more in the passing game. Tremble and company are all dependable blockers. But the onus will be on him this camp to show the Panthers they don't need to look outside the building for help.
All due respect to Tremble and his prowess as an excellent blocker, but "solid" is probably too generous for this group—at least when it comes to making a difference in the receiving department. Tremble has never posted 250 receiving yards or more than three touchdowns in his career. Meanwhile, Sanders has scored just two touchdowns since he was drafted and Evans' sample size is still too small to really evaluate.
Finding more help at edge should probably be at the top of the team's priority list right now, but tight end should be considered their biggest need on offense going into the season.
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This article originally appeared on Panthers Wire: ESPN names 3 players to watch at Panthers training camp