After a promising first season under head coach Dave Canales, the Carolina Panthers are looking to take the next step in a wide-open NFC South. Former No. 1 pick Bryce Young began to show flashes of what could be something special in 2024. He will look to build upon those flashes in 2025, with a revamped wide receiver room to aid him.
The biggest standout of Carolina's training camp so far might be one of Young's new weapons. Five-year NFL veteran Hunter Renfrow has compiled several standout plays in practice, looking the part of a dangerous slot receiver.
Another catch in the corner of the end zone off a throw by Dalton https://t.co/Rc4h8DmIHE
— Mike Kaye (@mike_e_kaye) July 26, 2025
Andy Dalton won't be throwing the passes come Week 1, but Renfrow was a Pro Bowl wideout a few years ago. He put up 1,038 receiving yards and nine touchdowns in 2021, only starting in nine of 17 games. Pound for pound, it was one of the most impressive wide receiver campaigns in recent memory. Renfrow isn't a sensational athlete at 5-foot-10 and 185 pounds, but he's an airtight route-runner with sticky hands and impressive open-field quickness.
Hunter Renfrow still has it 😮💨pic.twitter.com/zbMSwmKu70
— Underdog (@Underdog) July 26, 2025
The Panthers selected Tetairoa McMillan with the No. 8 pick a few months ago. He should quickly emerge as Young's favorite target and the lynchpin of Carolina's passing attack. But Renfrow will quickly move up the depth chart if he can return to prime form after a couple down years in Las Vegas. A stable intermediate threat will greatly benefit Young, who has gone through far too much WR instability in just two NFL seasons.
That said, a Renfrow breakout could put a different Panthers rookie on the chopping block.
Hunter Renfrow's strong training camp leaves Jimmy Horn on roster bubble
The Panthers selected Colorado's Jimmy Horn in the sixth round of April's NFL Draft. After a couple strong seasons next to Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter, the speedy wideout earned his shot in the pros. While he lacks the traditional size and strength for his position at 5-foot-8 and 174 pounds, Horn makes up for it in much the same way as Renfrow: speed, agility and sharp route-running. He can also serve as Carolina's kick returner.
While the special teams value is probably enough to earn Horn a roster spot, it's unclear if he can break through in a quietly crowded WR room. There was initial hope that Horn might earn reps in the slot behind longtime NFL star Adam Thielen, but Renfrow provides legitimate NFL experience and a veteran's poise, something this overwhelmingly young Panthers offense still needs more of.
Horn will get his chances to impress coaches at camp. Maybe, in the end, Carolina still decides to roll with the upside of youth, rather than the (perceived to be) declining Renfrow. The Panthers want to win, though, and veterans tend to contribute more to winning, so Renfrow may be working himself into poll position for consistent snaps in the slot.
Panthers need to tread carefully with Hunter Renfrow
While Hunter Renfrow at the top of his game is an exciting proposition, there are plenty of reasons to be skeptical. It has been all downhill — and rather dramatically so — after Renfrow's magical 2021 campaign. He also spent all of last season out of the league as he dealt with ulcerative colitis, a serious illness that caused him to lose 30 pounds.
We haven't seen Renfrow look like a consistently playable wide receiver in almost four years. He's not exactly a spring chicken by NFL standards at 29 and any mounting athletic decline is amplified by his lack of size. So, while this comeback narrative is awfully encouraging, the Panthers cannot bank on Renfrow with 100 percent confidence.
Horn at least deserves a fair shake to win the job.