Carolina Panthers rookie tight end Ja'Tavion Sanders caught both of his targets 22 yards in the team's loss to the New York Jets, leading the team in yards on the day. The former Texas Longhorn was picked up in the fourth round of this year's draft and stands a chance to take over as the TE1 in Carolina this upcoming season. Current depth charts slate him as the TE3 behind Tommy Tremble and Ian Thomas, but he is a name to keep an eye on as he continues to be mixed into the offense. He'll look to climb further up the depth chart on Saturday when the Panthers take on the Bills in their final preseason game.
Ja'Tavion Sanders Could Move Around In Panthers Offense
Carolina Panthers rookie tight end Ja'Tavion Sanders said his goal in the NFL is to be as good as former All-Pro Greg Olsen. Sanders, a converted receiver at Texas, averaged 49.5 catches a year with the Longhorns with an average of 648 yards and 3.5 touchdowns. His role with the Panthers is not clear yet, but head coach Dave Canales said on Saturday that Sanders will play both the "F" and the "Y" roles, dependent on pass plays versus 12 personnel. "He's a guy, you can move around a little bit more, maybe play him in the slot a little bit," Canales said, adding, "we look for those versatile type of tight ends." The 21-year-old was taken with the 101st overall pick in the fourth round this year but could immediately become the team's best pass-catching tight end over both Tommy Tremble and Ian Thomas. Still, fantasy managers in single-year leagues in 2024 should temper expectations for Sanders in Carolina's offense.
Panthers Take Ja'Tavion Sanders To Kick Off Fourth Round
The Carolina Panthers selected Texas tight end Ja'Tavion Sanders with the 101st overall pick to start the fourth round of the 2024 NFL draft on Saturday. This appears to be a pretty good value pick as tight ends begin to come off the board in the fourth round. The 21-year-old Sanders was considered one of this year's best prospects at the position and will now join Tommy Tremble and Ian Thomas at the tight end position in Carolina to give second-year quarterback Bryce Young some more help. Tremble and Thomas are more of the blocking variety, so Sanders could have an impact on offense in his rookie year in 2024 after posting the fourth-most receiving yards after the catch in college last year. Still, in an offense that looked awful in 2023, we'd be surprised if Sanders is on the fantasy radar in redraft leagues in 2024.
