Before the NFL’s Tuesday deadline, star wide receivers like Tee Higgins and Michael Pittman Jr. were franchise tagged by the Cincinnati Bengals and Indianapolis Colts respectively. Mike Evans, a franchise icon, also received an extension from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. As a result, the free agent market for wide receivers is not as robust. However, Marquise Brown, formerly of the Arizona Cardinals, is set to hit free agency, making him a sought-after player for teams like the Carolina Panthers and New York Jets.
The Carolina Panthers are in desperate need of a dynamic wide receiver in the NFL. This need is highlighted further by the fact that they traded DJ Moore to the Chicago Bears in exchange for Bryce Young in last year’s draft. Unfortunately, this move negatively impacted Young’s transition to the professional level as the Panthers lacked quality receivers to support him. Young had to work with a subpar receiving corps during his rookie season, with stats showing that his receivers struggled to create separation and had a high number of dropped passes.
The graph effectively summarizes Young’s challenges as a rookie. Additional statistics further highlight the lackluster performance of his supporting cast. Young’s receivers struggled with generating separation, ranking 63rd among quarterbacks. Additionally, they had 17 dropped passes, which was the 15th highest in the league. In Carolina, Young had limited reliable options in the receiving corps, with only veteran Adam Thielen surpassing 550 receiving yards in 2023. Even Thielen’s performance was inconsistent, with a strong start followed by underwhelming numbers in the remainder of the season. Other receivers like DJ Chark Jr. and rookie Jonathan Mingo failed to make significant contributions, with low yards per route run rankings. Mingo’s numbers were particularly disappointing, ranking among the worst for a rookie receiver in NFL history.
