If we’re being honest, just about every Carolina Panthers wide receiver is flying under the league-wide radar entering the 2023 season. But there might be one who ends up shaping that landscape.
On Thursday, CBS Sports writer Zachary Peleres named 50 overlooked players who may emerge as big-time difference makers this year. Peleres lists new Panthers wideout DJ Chark, who he believes could make his presence known in Carolina rather promptly:
Chark burst onto the scene with a Pro Bowl second season, but injuries have limited him to just 28 of a potential 50 games over the past three campaigns. The Panthers also added Adam Thielen in free agency and drafted Jonathan Mingo in the second round, but Chark is a ready-made deep threat with 6’4″ size and 4.34 speed. He should become an important target for Bryce Young quickly.
That Pro Bowl campaign saw Chark reel in 73 passes for 1,008 yards and eight touchdowns. The 26-year-old, however, has yet to replicate that kind of production since—amassing a combined 1,362 yards over the past three, injury-riddled seasons.
But, even as he returns from offseason ankle surgery, Chark has an opportunity to rise towards the top of an uncertain pecking order at his position. His combination of size, at 6-foot-4 and 198 pounds, and speed should allow him to stick out amongst his peers—and maybe not just the ones he’s working with.
