While things have worked out great for the San Francisco 49ers, the Carolina Panthers have been lacking running backs since trading Christian McCaffrey. However, thanks to the signing of the nation’s most promising talent at the position, there is new hope for a revitalized running game this year.
That would be Jonathon Brooks, who played college football in Texas and was widely considered the best running back in the 2024 NFL Draft. Carolina selected him in the second round (46th overall), making it clear who their leading rusher of the future will be.
Although Brooks isn’t expected to enter the lineup until Week 3 or 4 after suffering a torn ACL in November, he’s expected to generate the most yards for the Panthers this year. Here are the full projections for this unit in 2024, according to ESPN analyst Mike Clay.
– Jonathon Brooks: 144 runs, 661 yards, 5 touchdowns, 24 catches, 175 yards, 1 TD catch
– Chuba Hubbard: 138 runs, 561 yards, 5 touchdowns, 30 catches, 198 yards, 1 TD catch
– Miles Sanders: 93 runs, 399 yards, 3 touchdowns, 16 catches, 120 yards, no TD catches
– Raheem Blackshear: 12 carries, 52 yards, 0 touchdowns, 3 catches, 18 yards, no TD catches
If that happens, we won’t complain. Brooks has by far the highest potential of these four and once he gets going, head coach Dave Canales shouldn’t hesitate to put him at the top of the order.
— Enjoy more free Panthers coverage with Carolina Panthers on SI —
Adam Thielen calls on NFL teams to limit fights during joint training sessions
Dave Canales names 6 Panthers who stood out in the season opener
Panthers announce several measures to improve trench depth
Bryce Young had a mixed day at training camp
