Panthers select Texas TE Ja'Tavion Sanders to begin Round 4 of 2024 NFL Draft

On Day 2, Dan Morgan, the new general manager of the Carolina Panthers, strategically maneuvered through the draft board. The Panthers then held their position to start Day 3 and successfully improved their tight end group.

The Panthers selected Texas TE Ja’Tavion Sanders with the top selection in Round 4, pick No. 101 overall, in the 2024 NFL Draft on Saturday.

The 6-foot-4 Sanders brings size and pass-catching ability to a Panthers tight end room that needed upgrading with Tommy Tremble and Ian Thomas as the top incumbents.

Sanders, in his two seasons as a starting player at Texas, produced 1,295 yards and seven touchdowns overall. He made a record for the Longhorns in 2022, with the highest single-season catch, numbering 54.

Boasting big hands and the athleticism to threaten all three levels of the defense as a pass-catcher, Sanders owns the ability to become an immediate contributor for Carolina and provide quarterback Bryce Young with another option. The rookie’s strength at the catch point and ability to win over the middle and up the seam should feature well in coach Dave Canales’ offense.

As the tight end enters the NFL, he will need to enhance his in-line blocking and route-running skills. However, Sanders possesses the attributes necessary to increase his bulk and the capability to improve his weaknesses. This makes him an appealing choice to kick off Round 4.

The pick continues the Panthers’ offseason strategy of addressing positional needs on their offense.

Morgan made multiple trades during the draft’s first two days, leaping up to snag wideout Xavier Legette with the final pick in Round 1. On Day 2, the Panthers were involved in three trades, moving back twice and up once. After taking Legette in the first round, Carolina plucked the first running back off the board, Texas’ Jonathon Brooks, in Round 2 and added linebacker Trevin Wallace in the third round. Now Sanders joins Texas teammate Brooks in Carolina’s 2024 draft class.

Recently, the Panthers management has emphasized that the offseason was not just about enhancing the surroundings for Young, but rather focused on building the strongest team possible.

It appears that those objectives can be identical.

Whether through the hiring of the QB-friendly Canales, an early offseason trade to bring in receiver Diontae Johnson, paying big bucks in free agency to bolster the interior offensive line, or through four rounds of the draft — where three picks have been used to provide playmakers — Carolina has done almost everything in its power to improve the situation around Young.