Rookies abound on Carolina’s roster as the team looks to both win now and build for the future.
As the TV show 30 Rock continues its life on streaming services, there’s a clumsy quote from Jack Donaghy (Alec Baldwin) as he reads his boss’s poorly-written business book:
“New blood is the lifeblood of every company’s blood.”
While not the most coherent quote about building strong organizations and teams, I think we get the point.
And so do the Carolina Panthers.
The veins of the Panthers roster is flowing with a lot of “new blood” as 27 of the 92 players in Carolina are classified as rookies. Carolina added eight rookies via the 2025 draft, so the remaining 19 are among the hundreds of undrafted rookie free agents that land on NFL rosters every season.
Let’s take a look at where the Panthers are injecting “new blood” and what this could mean for the 2025 season.
Offensive rookies
Carolina invested the No. 8 overall pick in this year’s draft in wide receiver Tetaiora McMillan. Running back Trevor Etienne was added in the fourth round then late-round fliers were taken on tight end Mitchell Evans (sixth round) and wide receiver Jimmy Horn Jr. (seventh round).
McMillan is guaranteed to make the 53-man roster and will hopefully make significant contributions this year. Etienne should have a path toward playing time with Chuba Hubbard being the only experienced running back on the roster and Jonathon Brooks missing the season. Evans and Horn could potentially bounce between the practice squad and active roster and any production from them would be a welcome surprise.
Additional rookies at skill positions include quarterback Ethan Garbers, running backs Kayron Lynch-Adams and Emani Bailey, wide receivers Jacolby George and Kobe Hudson, and tight end Bryce Pierre.
Three fresh faces have been added to the offensive line in guards Luke Kandra and Steven Losoya along with tackle Michael Tarquin.
I’m bullish on guard Luke Kandra. He’s coming off two consecutive All-Big 12 First Team seasons and earned various All-American Second Team honors while sporting a 9.33 Relative Athletic Score. He’s my longshot to stick on the roster this year.
Defensive rookies
The Panthers added four defensive players via this year’s draft: defensive ends Nic Scourton (second round) and Princely Umanmielen (third), safety Lathan Ranson (fourth), and defensive tackle Cam Jackson (fifth). Both Scourton and Umanmielen have a clear path to not only making the roster but playing significant snaps this year.
The Panthers are rolling the dice with a host of rookies in the secondary. Cornerbacks include JaTravis Broughton, Michael Reid, and Corey Thornton. Three safeties have joined the team in Isaac Gifford, Jack Henderson, and Trevian Thomas.
Additional defensive rookies include defensive end Jared Harrison-Hunte, linebackers Bam Martin-Scott and Tuasivi Nomura, and outside linebacker Mapalo Mwansa who I’ve profiled as part of the NFL’s NFL’s International Player Pathway.
Kicker Ryan Fitzgerald is also along for the ride.
I’m most optimistic about cornerback Corey Thornton, defensive end Jared Harrison-Hunte, and linebacker Bam Martin-Scott sticking around in Charlotte. Each of them had at least some draft buzz surrounding them entering this year’s draft and could land on the practice squad this year.
Most of these 19 rookies who weren’t drafted by the Panthers will be victims of the NFL’s brutal roster cutdown process as the year progresses.
But at least a few of them will stick around, adding some new blood which, as we we know, is the lifeblood of every NFL team’s blood.