A pretty big key to the Carolina Panthers’ 2024 season may be a pretty big man.
Jim Wyman and Dalton Wasserman of Pro Football Focus recently named each NFL team’s X-factor heading into the new campaign. For Carolina, they settle on guard Robert Hunt—one of the team’s newest (and most expensive) additions:
When your starting quarterback stands well under 6 feet tall, pass protection should be a top priority. Carolina’s interior offensive line finished 31st in pass-blocking grade last season, giving Bryce Young no chance to scan the field. The team now has ex-Dolphin Robert Hunt, who posted the seventh-best overall grade among guards and allowed just five pressures in 2023.
The 6-foot-6, 335-pounder signed a five-year, $100 million deal with the Panthers earlier this offseason. He’ll be tasked with bringing some stability to the right guard position—a spot that saw seven different starters this past year.
2023 also saw Young sacked a total of 62 times, the second-highest mark in the entire league.
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