The Carolina Panthers may have to dig a little deeper than most to find their firepower in 2023.
Pro Football Focus recently published its list of the league’s top 32 wide receivers. And, unsurprisingly, zero of those pass catchers are stationed out of Charlotte, N.C.
But, if it’s any consolation to the organization, included in the rankings was the homegrown product DJ Moore—who, uh, isn’t exactly “home” anymore. Moore, of course, was traded to the Chicago Bears back on March 10 in the package for this year’s first overall pick.
PFF lead analyst Sam Monson, who slotted Carolina’s fourth all-time leading receiver in the 16th spot, writes:
The Chicago Bears securing Moore’s services as part of their trade out of the No. 1 overall pick in the draft was a real coup. He isn’t coming off a great year of production, but prior to last season Moore had three straight years of 1,100-plus receiving yards and is still averaging 1.94 yards per route run for his career despite some ugly quarterback situations. Moore can be the elite target Justin Fields has not yet had in the NFL.
Unfortunately for Carolina’s quarterback Bryce Young, he seemingly does not have an elite target in the NFL. While the Panthers do boast a more well-rounded group than they did compared to the last few years—having signed free agents Adam Thielen and DJ Chark and selecting Jonathan Mingo in the draft’s second round—none of their wideouts can currently be considered a “go-to” guy.
So, which of their receivers do you think has the best chance to crack this list come next year? Let us know!
