What about center?

The Panthers are linked to wide receivers anywhere you look. But, there may be a bigger need on the roster and it starts on the line.

The position that handles the ball on each offensive snap is not currently listed on the Carolina Panthers roster.

Quarterback? Yes, they have Bryce Young and backup Andy Dalton.

But the position that snaps the ball to the quarterback is not technically on the roster. If you look at the team roster on the Panthers official website, you’ll notice that nobody is designated as a center. In fact, no offensive lineman even has a G/C designation as of April 8, 2024.

After the Panthers dished out a combined $89.215 million in guaranteed cash for guards Robert Hunt & Damien Lewis during free agency, Joe Person of The Athletic reported that the Panthers would shift Austin Corbett from right guard to center while Brady Christensen would transition from guard to swing tackle.

Okay - so they do have a center at the moment.

While most of the talk revolves around wide receiver for the Panthers at the top of the second round - which is understandable - the bigger need could be at center.

Corbett is entering the final year of his deal. He’s also torn his ACL and injured the MCL in his left knee since January 2023.

Corbett has played guard since he entered the league in 2018 when he was selected 33rd overall by the Cleveland Browns. The extent of his work at center came during the 2019 preseason. He played 206 snaps at center, including all 75 in the preseason finale. There was talk that Corbett would play center when he was traded to the Rams but that never came to fruition.

At the owners meetings in March, Panthers Head Coach Dave Canales said there are certain qualities a player must have to play the center position. Here is the full quote via Darin Gantt from the team’s official website:

“Well, it's a specific role for a guy who's a leader. You can get away with it when a guy isn't vocal; you can get away with it when a guy isn't like the true alpha type of personality. You can get away with that, but you really would love your center to be like the middle linebacker and be the quarterback of the offensive line. And Corbs is that. He's a man's man; when he talks, people listen. He's just natural for this, and for us to have the opportunity to go get the guards that we did to add Austin into that mix as a center to be able to piece it all together, the continuity of the tackles with a couple of new guys, a lot of guys just talking along the line. It's really a dream scenario. And so I love this challenge.

I love this challenge for Austin to really kind of branch out of his comfort zone a little bit at this time. But I also just love to forget about the football part. I just love the personal chemistry of what we're building there because it's definitely the offensive line is about chemistry. As we all know, teams play with five or six combinations of offensive linemen all year; that's really hard, you know. And so I know that there will be some changes, there will be things that will happen that are out of our control. But, you know, from day one, I just can't help but feel really good going into this season with the front five that we have right now in Austin being the center of that.”

Chemistry was certainly an issue at the guard spots for the Panthers in 2023 due to injuries. They played seven different players at left guard - eight at right guard - and the results were disastrous. The Panthers gave up 65 sacks, which was tied for second most in the league. Per the FTN Data team, the Panthers allowed a 32.3% pressure rate, which was sixth worst in the league.

With new guards, communication will be vital and Canales sees that as one of Corbett’s biggest strengths. Prior to the injuries he sustained during the 2023 calendar year, Corbett made 57 consecutive starts.

The center and wide receiver prospects in the 2024 draft class are held in high regard by those that cover the draft closely.

If there is a run on wide receivers in round one - would the Panthers stand pat at 33 and take the top rated center on the board? What if none of the highly regarded centers are taken in round one?

The team still has many needs based on roster decisions that haven’t panned out over the last few seasons. They could trade down and acquire more picks.

If an opportunity presents itself to take a top center, don’t be surprised if the Panthers use the 33rd overall selection to be the ultimate replacement for the man selected in same spot six years ago.