4 most overrated players on the Panthers roster entering 2024

No rational Panthers fan expects new head coach Dave Canales to pilot this weak roster to the playoffs in 2024. Carolina is squarely in a rebuild. Several overrated players on the current roster need to step up if they aren't going to be shipped out.

Two of the players on this list have a lot of time left in their pro careers. The other pair are heading towards the end of their time in the NFL. All four players need to live up to their big names if Carolina is going to pull any sort of surprises this season.

The list begins with one of the longest-tenured players in Panthers history. The former first-round pick needs to stave off Father Time to make this defense competitive.

4. Shaq Thompson

Thompson has been a leader of Carolina's defense during most of his career. Suddenly he finds himself as the grizzled veteran expected to lead defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero's unit.

To do that Thompson will need to prove he's fully recovered from a gruesome leg injury that cost him the majority of his 2013 campaign. He only managed to play two games last season which was a big reason why Carolina's season went off the rails.

At his best, Thompson was a rangy linebacker who could make plays from sideline-to-sideline. His mobility has been on a steady decline as he enters his age-30 season. That could make Thompson an undersized middle linebacker on a team without much surrounding talent at the linebacker position. Thompson has a big reputation with Panthers fans but it outpaces his likely productivity this season.

3. Adam Thielen

Unlike Thompson, Thielen was one of the team's most productive players last year. He caught 103 passes for 1,014 yards last season despite Carolina's obvious offensive struggles. Those raw numbers drastically overstate how good of a receiver he is at this late stage of his career.

Thielen has never been an uber-explosive wideout but his yards per catch average dipped under 10 yards in 2023. He caught a lot of short passes from rookie Bryce Young but he didn't produce a lot of big plays. That's one reason why Thielen only found the end zone four times.

The good news for Thielen and Panthers fans is that he won't be counted on as Young's No. 1 option this season. Sliding down to the No. 2 or slot might allow him to produce more quality gains per catch. If he slips any further in that department he'll be a below average wide receiver with a big name.

2. Ikem Ekwonu

When the Panthers selected Ekwonu with the No. 6 overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft they believed they'd landed a future star at left tackle. The reality is that he's barely performed at the level of average starter during his career to date.

There's still hope that Ekwonu's obvious athleticism can be harnessed to help him fulfill his potential. The chaos around here on offense has not done his development any favors. If Canales and his staff can simplify things for the former NC State star he might be able to get his career back on track.

If not, he could end up going down as a pretty big draft bust. The Panthers desperately need him to play up to his draft slot if they're going to give Young a chance to blossom into a quality quarterback. His play will be under a microscope this year and he needs to react positively to cease to be overrated.

1. Bryce Young

It may seem harsh to put the former No. 1 overall pick on this list after just one year as a pro. The truth is that his PFF average of just 56 during the 2023 season accurately illustrates just how poorly he performed at the game's most important position.

Young was forced to work behind a porous offensive line last season. His group of wide receivers was also laughable. The Panthers hope they've strengthened both positions this offseason to the point that Young can play like a quality quarterback.

That plan has some merit but Young has to take a massive leap forward to justify the organizaton's faith in him. He has to learn to let plays develop in front of him to threaten opposing defensive backs. Young's ball security must also improve at a rapid rate. It might be too early to panic about Young's long-term future in the league but his rookie performance was historically bad.

Young is going to continue on as the face of the Panthers' franchise in 2024 but his play as a rookie did nothing to justify that status. That's what makes him the most overrated player on Carolina's roster heading into his pivotal sophomore campaign.