Carolina Panthers new tight end Ja’Tavion Sanders may have dropped down to the fourth round of the 2024 NFL Draft but the young man is not shy on confidence. We are still over three months away from the start of the season and the rookie is setting high targets for himself.
Sanders was the No. 101 overall selection by the Panthers and the franchise will be hoping the 21-year-old can make an instant impact. The 6’4″ tight end was exceptional with the Texas Longhorn last season, finishing with 682 receiving yards and averaging 15.2 yards per reception over 14 games.
Following the team’s rookie minicamp over the weekend, Sanders stated to reporters that he was looking to emulate one of the franchise’s all-time great tight ends in the coming years.
“He was one of the tight ends to change the game…I’m just trying to be the next Greg Olsen. I’m trying to be the new face of the offense for sure,” said Sanders to reports.
New Panthers TE Ja’Tavion Sanders wants to be the next Greg Olsen: ‘’He’s one of the tight ends to change the game.’’ pic.twitter.com/myvSTvkzIH
— David Newton (@DNewtonespn) May 11, 2024
Olsen was a first round pick out of the University of Miami in 2007 and gradually developed into one of the NFL’s most reliable tight ends. He started his career with the Chicago Bears but really made his mark with the Panthers where he finished with 6463 receiving yards and 39 touchdowns over nine seasons. Olsen was also a member of the Carolina team that made it all the way to the Super Bowl in 2016.
The Panthers offense will need all the help they can get after a dismal 2023 season where they finished tied for last in the NFL in points per game (13.9). They also ranked last in passing yards per game (161.2) and last in total yards per game (265.3).
With quarterback Bryce Young a year older, and some new weapons like Ja’Tavion Sanders, Diontae Johnson and Xavier Legette on the roster, Panthers fans have a lot to be excited about in 2024.
