It’s clear that Carolina Panthers head coach Dave Canales wants to run, run and then run some more. But is his offense equipped to do so?
Pro Football Focus analyst Trevor Sikkema ranked the NFL’s 32 running back units heading into the 2024 campaign. And while he positions the Panthers all the way down at No. 27, Sikkema believes there’s quite a bit of upside for the group:
Chuba Hubbard placed 18th in PFF wins above average last season (0.18), and the Panthers also drafted who I believe to be the top back in the 2024 NFL Draft in Jonathon Brooks, who earned an elite 92.0 rushing grade last season.
If Brooks can progress nicely and confidently after his ACL tear in November, this has the chance to be a sneaky good group with an improved offensive line in front of them.
That improved offensive line includes free-agent signees and new starting guards Damien Lewis and Robert Hunt. Lewis earned a 57.9 run blocking grade from PFF this past season with Hunt scoring a career-high 74.5 in the category.
But as for the fellas who actually run the ball—Miles Sanders, who will try to bounce back from a nightmarish 2023, had this to say about the running back room during mandatory minicamp:
“We had chemistry since I got in here last year starting with Chuba and Raheem [Blackshear]. And now we got Jonathon, we got a couple of other new guys, we got [Rashaad] Penny, Penny in there too and [Mike] Boone. The guys are great. We all get along very well. We compete real good.”
The competition will continue next month.
