The Carolina Panthers are once again turning the page with a new coaching staff. Offensive coordinator Brad Idzik, at 32 years young will be the youngest OC in NFL. Carolina is Idzik’s first stint as offensive coordinator in the NFL, following new head coach Dave Canales through three teams. So, the NFC South has all-new offensive coordinators. What could go wrong?
Brad Idzik
Although Idzik has not been an offensive coordinator, he has been in interesting assistant coaching positions. In 2020, he was assistant wide receivers coach in Seattle. In 2020, Seattle’s Tyler Locket set a franchise record for most receptions in a season (100), and D.K. Metcalf set a franchise record for receiving yards (1,303).
In 2021, Idzik was the assistant quarterbacks coach and offensive quality control coach. Quarterback Russell Wilson threw for 3,113 yards with 7.8 average yards per attempt and 25 passing touchdowns.
Last season, Idzik was the wide receivers coach for Tampa Bay. Mike Evans and Chris Godwin had the third-best totals of their careers.
- Evans: 135 targets, 79 receptions, 1,255 receiving yards, 15.9 yards per reception, 13 receiving touchdowns.
- Godwin: 131 targets, 83 receptions, 1,024 receiving yards, 12.3 yards per reception, two receiving touchdowns.
Now Idzik will be tasked with making something out of the Carolina Panthers receiving corps.
Carolina Panthers Wide Receiving Corps 2023
The Panthers’ offense was abysmal last season. They were last in points per game (13.9), total offense (265.3) and passing yards per game (161.2).
Veteran Adam Thielen led the receiving corps with 137 targets, 104 receptions, and four receiving touchdowns. Thielen had five drops and was 49th in target separation. He finished the fantasy season as WR17.
The next best wide receiver on the team was rookie Jonathan Mingo. Mingo was targeted 85 times. He finished the fantasy season as WR81. Mingo was 67th in target separation and had 43 receptions and 418 receiving yards. He didn’t see the end zone.
Carolina’s trio of wide receivers, including D.J. Chark, averaged less than three yards of separation.
Carolina Panthers Wide Receiving Corps 2024
Chark is still a free agent (last year, he played on a one-year deal with the Panthers). The Panthers did acquire Diontae Johnson in a trade with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Last season, Johnson was targeted 87 times with 51 receptions. He had 717 receiving yards and five touchdowns. But what is his most important stat, per ESPN stats, since 2020, Johnson has created the most space of any receiver in the league.
Currently, the Panthers’ receiving corps consists of Johnson and Terrace Marshall Jr. as the X receivers. In the slot are Thielen and Ihmir Smith-Marsette, and Mingo, David Moore, and Cam Sims will occupy the Z receiver spot.
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Tight end Hayden Hurst is now a Los Angeles Charger and fourth-year Tommy Tremble leads the tight ends.
On paper, this is still an underwhelming lot.
The Panthers’ hope lies in the 2024 NFL Draft, where the receiving class is deep. It’s a good thing because the Panthers’ first pick will be 33rd overall (or the first pick in the second round). They also have the 39th pick.
2024 Fantasy Hopes in Carolina
Do the fantasy hopes for the Panthers lie in a player to be named later?
As mentioned earlier, this class is deep. CBS NFL is reporting that 20% of the day-one picks in the NFL draft will be wide receivers. Most mock drafts have the Panthers picking up at least one receiver, some have them picking up two, and then there is the latest tomfoolery from ESPN’s “draft expert”:
We have to wait and see which projection is more accurate because, quite honestly, our fantasy hopes in Carolina depend on the 2024 NFL Draft.
Bryce Young
And a little about second-year quarterback Young. We already know his receiving corps didn’t help him. Pro Football Focus had the Panthers’ 30th in the NFL in receiving grade.
Young also took a league-leading 62 sacks last season. The offensive line was 27th in PFF’s pass-blocking grade.
The offensive line added guards Robert Hunt and Damien Lewis. They moved Austin Corbett to the center, solidifying last year’s lackluster offensive line.
Young understandably had a bad year last year with a subpar offensive line and subpar weapons. He finished the fantasy season as QB23. He was 35th in yards per attempt (5.5), 29th in true completion percentage 68.5%, and 11th in interceptable passes (20).
The run game stalled in the middle of the NFL pack, ranking 20th in rushing attempts per game (26.2) and rushing yards per game (104.1). Chuba Hubbard was the 20th running back with 238 carries for 902 yards. He averaged 3.8 yards per carry and had five rushing touchdowns. To be fair, it is hard to establish a solid run game when the passing game is inept.
2024 Fantasy Relevancy
Idzik has a record for making players’ fantasy relevant. But the talent level from Seattle to Tampa Bay to Carolina isn’t (yet) quite equal.
If the Panthers can draft a quality wide receiver, there is a chance that Johnson, Thielen, and a player to be named later become fantasy-relevant.
Are you betting on the Panthers wide receiving corps in your fantasy drafts?
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