The Carolina Panthers may be giving up on this one player.
The Carolina Panthers have some very clear needs heading into the NFL Draft, and while most of their biggest issues remain on the defensive side of the ball, they might go offense in the first round for the fifth straight year.
The Panthers have been incessantly linked to Oregon tight end Kenyon Sadiq with the 19th overall pick, and there are even some who feel that Carolina could select a wide receiver on Day 1 for the third time in a row.
But it's the Panthers' apparent interest in a Day 2 tight end that has me really confused. That tight end is Georgia's Oscar Delp.
Delp spent four seasons with the Bulldogs and never managed 300 receiving yards once. He had a really impressive Pro Day, however, which now has many scouts salivating over his potential.
Why, though, would Carolina waste time on a Day 2 tight end? Sadiq is a freakish prospect, so it makes sense to take him in Round 1. But Delp in the second or third round? With Ja'Tavion Sanders already on the roster?
This indicates that the Panthers may have lost all faith in Sanders is a viable option moving forward.
Carolina Panthers tight end Ja'Tavion Sanders. Credit: Scott Kinser-Imagn Images.Carolina took Sanders in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL Draft, and the buzz was palpable. Much like Sadiq, Sanders was an incredible athlete with sky-high potential, although he was considerably rougher around the edges (which was why he fell to Day 3).
Sanders showed serious flashes of talent during his rookie campaign and appeared to be on the verge of securing the Panthers' TE1 job, but a scary neck injury he suffered during the latter half of the season changed things.
The 23-year-old ended up catching 33 passes for 342 yards and a touchdown on the year, with the vast majority of his production coming prior to the injury.
Sanders would play during the latter stages of the year, but he clearly wasn't the same, and he wasn't even really utilized.
Then, this past season, the University of Texas product logged just 29 catches for 190 yards and a score in 13 games. He was targeted only 34 times, so while his catch rate was terrific, his usage rate was minuscule.
The fact that the Panthers are so heavily pursuing a tight end — perhaps even Delp on Day 2 — is evidence that they may have given up on Sanders.
Sanders has two years remaining on his rookie contract, but it wouldn't be the least bit surprising if Carolina rehomes him before his deal expires.
It seems pretty clear that Sanders is not being prioritized, even if he is still possesses tremendous potential.
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