Five of the Panthers 11 picks still remain with the team. Which ones are most likely to stay after the 2024 season?
In 2021 the Carolina Panthers drafted a slew of players, 11 in all. Those that are still playing for the Panthers are entering their fourth professional seasons, a key one in their careers as it’s the last year of their rookie contracts. It’s also a key season for Carolina’s front office to determine which of these players will earn a second contract with the team.
Let’s take a look at the probability of the players remaining from the 2021 draft class re-signing with the team after this upcoming season. First, here’s the full draft class and their current statuses:
- Jaycee Horn, CB (Rd. 1, No. 8) – Still with Panthers
- Terrace Marshall, Jr, WR (Rd. 2, No. 59) – Still with Panthers
- Brady Christensen, G (Rd. 3, No. 70) – Still with Panthers
- Tommy Tremble, TE (Rd. 3, No. 83) – Still with Panthers
- Chuba Hubbard, RB (Rd. 4, No. 126) – Still with Panthers
- Daviyon Nixon, DT (Rd. 5, No. 158) – Now with Miami Dolphins
- Keith Taylor, DB (Rd. 5, No. 166) – Now with the Kansas City Chiefs
- Deonte Brown, OL (Rd. 6, No. 193) – Now with UFL’s Birmingham Stallions
- Shi Smith, WR (Rd. 6, No. 204) – Free agent, waived by Chiefs in May 2024
- Thomas Fletcher, LS (Rd. 6, No. 222) – Hired as UCLA’s special teams coordinator
- Phil Hoskins, DT (Rd. 7, No. 232) – Now with Arizona Cardinals
Here’s the outlook for the five remaining Panthers from the 2021 draft class getting a second contract from the team:
Jaycee Horn, CB
As a first round pick Horn was eligible for a fifth-year option which the Panthers exercised for 2025 for $12.5 million. This will give the Panthers an extra year to determine if they’ll keep Jaycee in Carolina long term.
Through three seasons Horn has been a combination of tantalizing potential and frustrating injuries. He has appeared in just 22 games thus far and needs to shed the “injury prone” label attached to his name. Provided he’s healthy the Panthers will do everything possible to keep him in the fold. He’s just too talented, too young, and plays too important of a position to let him walk.
Probability of re-signing: 90%
Terrace Marshall Jr, WR
The No. 59 pick has mostly struggled through his first three seasons. In 36 career games he has produced just 64 receptions for 767 yards and one touchdown. Last year he was often an afterthought appearing in nine games with 19 receptions and 139 yards.
This upcoming season will be a make-or-break year for Marshall, and the odds aren’t stacked in his favor. Carolina added highly-productive free agent Diontae Johnson along with David Moore, a veteran who has a history with new head coach Dave Canales. The Panthers traded up one spot in the 2024 draft to land Xavier Legette as the final pick in the first round.
Marshall will need to make a quantum leap this upcoming season to remain in Carolina long term, and the odds of that happening are slim.
Probability of re-signing: 10%
Brady Christensen, G
After bouncing around the offensive line as a rookie in 2021, Christensen became the Panthers starting guard in 2022. His 2023 campaign lasted just one game before suffering a season-ending injury.
Carolina’s new front office must not have a ton of faith in Christensen because they invested $153 million in two guards this off-season in Robert Hunt and Damien Lewis. This means Christensen will likely be relegated to backup duty in his fourth NFL season, which has got to be frustrating for a one-time starter.
I will go to my grave believing the Panthers should have kept Brady at tackle, his natural position, instead of converting him into an undersized guard. With Hunt and Lewis locked into long-term deals, look for Christensen to bolt after this year for a team with a clearer path to a starting gig.
Probability of re-signing: 10%
Tommy Tremble, TE
Tremble has been a fairly capable player thus far but he hasn’t shown the ability to impact games. He has appeared in about half of the Panthers offensive snaps through three seasons, producing 62 receptions for 548 yards and seven touchdowns. He’s a capable blocker for his position and a decent receiver in small doses.
The Panthers drafted tight end Ja’Tavion Sanders in the fourth round of this year’s draft, providing Tremble and Ian Thomas with some additional competition. But much to my years-long frustration, Carolina’s tight end room continues to lack both quality and depth. Given the team’s lack of positional depth, Tremble’s age (he’ll be 24 at the start of the season), and his generally serviceable skill set, I could see the Panthers front office doing their best to keep a “capable enough” Tommy Tremble in Carolina.
Probability of re-signing: 70%
Chuba Hubbard, RB
It will be interesting to see what happens with Chuba this season given the changes to the coaching staff and the fact Carolina invested their second round pick in running back Jonathon Brooks. In 2023 Chuba outperformed former Pro Bowler Miles Sanders and quietly put up 1,135 scrimmage yards. Coming off a solid season, Hubbard is probably the team’s RB1 as of today.
Unless Miles Sanders can recapture his previous production under a new coaching staff he’ll likely be released after the 2024 season, thus leaving Brooks and Hubbard as the primary incumbents for 2025. This situation might be enticing enough for Hubbard to re-sign with Carolina as it’s unlikely he’ll get a big offer to go somewhere else. Life can be tough for free agent running backs, so Chuba would be wise to run it back with the Panthers.
Probability of re-signing: 85%