Panthers' 5 biggest position battles entering the preseason's final week

Some of the Carolina Panthers‘ biggest position battles of the summer have long been decided.

A few were essentially called by default—namely, the fight at left tackle between Rasheed Walker and Monroe Freeling, which saw both land a starting gig with the injuries to Ikem Ekwonu and Taylor Moton, and the one for the No. 3 spot at wide receiver, as a season-ending LCL tear to rookie Chris Brazzell II cleared the way for Xavier Legette.

And others just never seemed to materialize—like at center, where the experience of fifth-year veteran Luke Fortner quickly trumped the promise of 2026 fifth-round pick Sam Hecht.

But the reigning NFC South champions still have a handful of winners to pick before the football really starts to count.

Here are the Panthers’ five biggest remaining competitions heading into the final week of the preseason . . .

At least three chairs in the wide receiver room are set—with Tetairoa McMillan, Jalen Coker and Legette comfortably seated. But the other three to four may be up in the air.

Those spaces will come down to some combination of the following—David Moore, Brycen Tremayne, Jimmy Horn Jr., John Metchie III and Ja’seem Reed. Moore is a favorite of head coach Dave Canales, Tremayne and Horn have established additional worth on special teams, Metchie has been their most productive receiver of the preseason and Reed has emerged as a summer standout.

Carolina, in both of Canales’ two years at the helm, secured seven wideouts on their initial 53-man roster. So at least one of those aforementioned players will likely hit the chopping block come Sunday.

Having lacked receiving production at the tight end position for about eight years now, the Panthers went out and signed former Pro Bowler Darren Waller last week. And he’s not coming to Carolina just to ride the pine.

With Waller and his pass-catching abilities in the mix, the role of 2024 fourth-round pick Ja’Tavion Sanders is suddenly in question. Plus, the state of his job security isn’t helped by the oncoming Feleipe Franks—who’s made an impression on offense to go along with his valued presence on special teams.

If there’s a fourth jersey in this group to be had behind Waller, Tommy Tremble and Mitchell Evans—Sanders must fend off Franks to nab it.

The Panthers took care of one starting inside linebacker spot, signing Pro Bowler Devin Lloyd to a three-year, $42 million deal in the spring. But they haven’t been as sharp in addressing the one next to Lloyd.

Like his fellow 2024 draftee in Sanders, former third-rounder Trevin Wallace has failed to live up to expectations thus far. He’s been pitted against fourth-year vet Claudin Cherelus, who may be better suited for a role on special teams than in a starting lineup.

Neither ‘backer has made a strong claim to the honor this summer. In fact, the winner of this competition may not even be on the roster.

In what may be a bit of an upset, at least to this point, 2024 fifth-round pick Chau Smith-Wade could be leading Corey Thornton in the race to start from the slot.

Smith-Wade flashed his big-play ability on Friday, where he jumped a pass from Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Carter Bradley to record a spectacular interception.

Thornton, meanwhile, has struggled in coverage during preseason play—having allowed six receptions for 51 yards and a touchdown on seven targets. Opposing quarterbacks have combined for a 136.6 passer rating when throwing at the second-year corner this summer.

Horn draws double duty, as his work in the return game has opened some eyes this summer. He’s proven to be a worthy challenger to last year’s primary returner in running back Trevor Etienne, who led the Panthers in takes on kickoffs and punts as a rookie in 2025.

While Etienne has already built up that season of experience, Horn’s speed and elusiveness offers Carolina a bit more juice here. He’s exhibited his prowess in that department throughout the preseason—averaging 26.6 yards per kick return and looking quite comfortable in fielding punts.

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This article originally appeared on Panthers Wire: Panthers’ 5 biggest position battles entering the preseason’s final week