Carolina Panthers top breakout player candidates for 2018

The Carolina Panthers won 11 games in 2017 and are looking to reclaim the NFC South title. Which players could have breakout seasons in 2018?

The Carolina Panthers were one of the best teams in the NFL in 2017, but they were stuck in a loaded division and couldn’t get past the New Orleans Saints, a team they lost to three times.

The Panthers look better on paper for 2018, but they will need some players to step up in a big way if they are going to contend with the Saints and Falcons for the NFC South crown.

Here are the Panthers’ top breakout player candidates this season…

D.J. Moore, Wide Receiver

The Panthers used their top pick in the 2018 NFL Draft on Moore after they made a trade last season involving Kelvin Benjamin going to the Buffalo Bills.

With Benjamin gone, the Panthers featured Christian McCaffrey (more on him later) and Devin Funchess in the passing game, but no one else on the team surpassed even 50 targets in the passing game.

The Panthers became focused on the run, which they were good at, but their passing attack desperately needed an infusion of talent, and some felt like Moore was the most talented playmaker in a draft class with some pretty good players at his position.

Moore is built like a running back with a limited route tree, but he is a guy that can come in and provide some playmaking ability after the catch. The Panthers’ run game is so effective that their short-area passing game should also excel, and Moore can help significantly there.