Ian Thomas

ESPN’s David Newton said Ian Thomas has “stolen the spotlight” at tight end during Panthers’ OTAs and minicamp.

Rookie fourth-rounder Ja’Tavion Sanders was expected to be the Panthers tight end who would impress in the passing game. While that still may happen, Newton writes that in head coach Dave Canales’ “tight-end-friendly scheme [Thomas] has become a big target” at the position. The Panthers rank dead last in the league in tight end targets over the last four seasons, and Thomas hasn’t gone for more than 197 yards since posting a line of 36-333-2 as a rookie back in 2018. We’ll take this one with a grain of salt, but it’s possible the seven-year vet is the preferred tight end for the Panthers in 2024 if his strong offseason carries into training camp.