Panthers training camp stock watch: Sanders, Smith-Wade surge in practice
The Carolina Panthers are already eight practices into their annual training camp. And while the workouts have come and gone quickly, the practices have given the organization opportunities to evaluate the roster.
Each practice has featured highlights and lowlights. As a result, players are moving up and down the board with momentum as the team awaits joint practice with the Cleveland Browns on Wednesday.
Here’s a look at the players who have raised or dropped their stock since the start of camp:
Stock up: CB Chau Smith-Wade
Chau Smith-Wade has been the most consistent defensive performer in camp. He’s broken up passes regularly, and there’s been a buzz about him since the offseason program.
The second-year nickel corner is known for his football IQ. And after learning the position on the fly last season, he’s really come into his own on the field and in the classroom. Head coach Dave Canales has praised his attention to detail and work rate, and Smith-Wade has even said that he feels like a “10-year vet” at the nickel spot.
There were a lot of external questions about the cornerback depth chart heading into the offseason, but Smith-Wade has at least eased the concern about his spot. With Smith-Wade thriving at nickel, the Panthers can feel good about their top three players at the position, including starters Jaycee Horn and Mike Jackson.
Stock down: G Chandler Zavala
Zavala’s placement on this list isn’t really his fault. He sustained a left patellar injury during the team’s first padded practice last week, and he’s been considered “week to week” ever since.
Zavala was initially drafted to be a future starter, and through his first two seasons, uneven play and injuries have stalled his ascent. It also doesn’t help that the Panthers paid big bucks for Rob Hunt, a 2024 Pro Bowl selection, and Damien Lewis to play above him.
The 2023 fourth-round pick had some really nice moments in spot duty last season. And those moments were part of the reason the Panthers felt really good about their depth situation heading into the upcoming season. If Zavala can’t play by Week 1, he might start the season on injured reserve, further delaying his opportunities for playing time.
In the meantime, other players like Brady Christensen, Ja’Tyre Carter and Jarrett Kingston will look to take advantage of extended reps. If the Panthers don’t trade the loser of the center battle, that player — Austin Corbett or Cade Mays — could also take Zavala’s spot as the primary backup guard.
Stock up: WR Hunter Renfrow
Renfrow is nursing a minor hamstring injury, but there’s no doubt that he’s still one of the biggest winners of the first two weeks of training camp. Renfrow, when on the field, has been hard to cover, as he is both shifty and quick in his routes.
Renfrow took a year off because of illness last season, but he is starting to look like the guy who went to the Pro Bowl in 2021. His performance thus far has created a good problem in the wideout room, as the Panthers will have a tough time determining how many receivers to keep before Week 1.
If the cutdown deadline was tomorrow, Renfrow would clearly be a keeper, barring a trade involving him or another receiver.
Stock down: OLB DJ Johnson
Similar to Zavala, Johnson is a 2023 draft pick with a lot of talent in front of him. He’s also missed the past two practices with a hip injury.
Canales said Saturday the team is monitoring the injury ahead of Tuesday’s practice, which means he could have an even longer absence from team drills. Johnson doesn’t have a huge margin for error with D.J. Wonnum, Pat Jones, second-round pick Nic Scourton and third-round pick Princely Umanmielen all in front of him. Thomas Incoom is starting to ascend as well.
Johnson, if he can get back on the field, needs to have a strong preseason in his third summer with the team. He’s been a fine run defender, but he needs to show some pass-rushing prowess to be active on game days.
Stock up: TE Ja’Tavion Sanders
Sanders might be the offensive MVP of camp thus far. After weighing around 255 pounds during his rookie year, Sanders has dropped to around 238 pounds for his second training camp. The body transformation is showing up vividly in practice, as Sanders looks leaner, faster and more muscular this summer.
With Tommy Tremble (PUP/back) sidelined, Sanders has made the most of his additional first-team reps. He’s catching passes in droves, and he is adding yards after the catch with regularity. The Panthers need more from their tight end room this year, and Sanders has been one of the brightest stars in camp.
It wouldn’t be far-fetched to see Sanders become the No. 3 target in the passing game this year, especially as rookie wideout Tetairoa McMillan gets adjusted to NFL coverages.
Stock up: CB Corey Thornton
The Panthers’ cornerback group has surprisingly been one of the stronger units during the first two weeks of camp. With Smith-Wade thriving, other young corners have followed suit.
Thornton, an undrafted rookie from Louisville, is playing heavy snaps and matching up with the team’s top wideout talent. Thornton has been able to make the most of his reps by showing the ability to limit yards-after-catch opportunities. Similarly to Jaycee Horn, Thornton is a long, physical corner who wants to negate big plays by playing technically sound. He’s not itching for splash plays, instead focusing on locking down his assignment in coverage.
The Panthers might have found a Mike Jackson-like gem in undrafted free agency.
Stock down: CB Akayleb Evans
Evans entered camp as the third-most experienced corner on the depth chart. Heading into the summer, the former Minnesota Vikings fourth-round pick seemed like the favorite for the fourth cornerback job behind Horn, Jackson and Smith-Wade.
However, he has been outperformed by the likes of Thornton and Shemar Bartholomew over the past two weeks.
There’s still plenty of time for Evans to gain ground on his competition, but as of the second week of camp, it appears that he is outside of the top five corners on the roster. He will need to step it up against the Browns this week.
Stock up: CB Shemar Bartholomew
Like Smith-Wade, Bartholomew is making the most of his second NFL offseason. Claimed off waivers from the New York Jets last year, Bartholomew is getting his first full summer with the Panthers, and he’s making an impression with his ball-hawking ability.
During the offseason program, Bartholomew had a couple of impressive takeaways. Last week, he made an excellent interception in team drills during Wednesday’s workout.
The Panthers are looking for a primary backup on the outside for Horn and Jackson. With Jackson nursing a toe injury last week, Bartholomew got plenty of reps as a fill-in on the depth chart. Bartholomew rose to the challenge and earned praise from Canales.
Stock up: OLB Thomas Incoom
Incoom joined the Panthers midway through last season and played a significant number of snaps on special teams.
Now in his first Carolina training camp, he’s starting to turn the corner as a defender. Friday’s practice was particularly illuminating, as Incoom upended a run play and produced two would-be sacks in team drills.
Johnson (hip) and Scourton (hamstring) are nursing injuries, so Incoom could be getting some more snaps over the next few days. If he plays his cards right, Incoom could jump over Johnson’s spot in the lineup to earn the fifth OLB ranking on the depth chart.
This story was originally published August 4, 2025 at 5:00 AM with the headline "Panthers training camp stock watch: Sanders, Smith-Wade surge in practice."
