Panthers 2023 season opener countdown: 5 days to go

We continue our countdown towards the Panthers regular season opener.

Panthers fans! Its game week! With 5 days until the Panthers regular season opener, we’re looking at number 5 on the roster — WR Laviska Shenault.

Laviska Shenault entered the league in 2020 as the 42nd overall pick by the Jacksonville Jaguars, joining another current Panthers wide receiver DJ Chark. Shenault’s rookie season saw him log 58 receptions for 600 yards and 5 TDs, solid production from a second round pick. In 2021, Shenault added 63 catches for 619 yards, though he blanked the TD category. Then, during the 2022 offseason, the Jaguars shipped Shenault off to Carolina, as the Panthers sent a 2023 7th round pick and a 2024 6th round pick for his services. Shenault then became more of a gadget player for the Panthers, logging 27 receptions for 272 yards and a TD, in addition adding 65 yards and 1 TD on 9 rushing attempts.

Shenault was hyped up by the Panthers beat writers over the offseason as a potential weapon for Bryce Young, and the fact that the team retained him among a big of a log-jam at the end of the WR depth chart makes me believe they have plans for him. Bryce Young will need players who can make his life easier and I believe Shenault will do that, as an extension of the run game and a gadget player good for at least a few touches a game designed for him. We didn’t get to see a lot of that in the preseason, but I am excited to see what the offense has drawn up for him.

Are you excited, Panthers fans?