Should the Carolina Panthers draft a center? And more in this week’s mailbag
Yes, the bulk of free agency is behind us, and yes, the NFL Draft is still weeks away.
But there’s still a lot to talk about in the world of the Carolina Panthers.
In this week’s reader mailbag, Charlotte Observer reporter Alex Zietlow answers questions on the minds of Panthers fans. Check those answers out here. If you’re interested in submitting a question for next week, make sure to email Mike Kaye (mkaye@charlotteobserver.com) or Zietlow (azietlow@charlotteobserver.com) directly.
Are the Panthers drafting a center or what?
Via X, Daniel asks: Do you think they will add a center during the draft?
Zietlow: Yes. And I think they should.
The Panthers, after all, aren’t going to be as stacked with interior offensive linemen who can be converted into centers as they were last year. Cade Mays is already gone to Detroit. Austin Corbett moved on to Buffalo. Brady Christensen might still come back, but his future is murky too … and he ruptured his Achilles five months ago.
Yes, Luke Fortner is here to take over the starting role. And the team really likes backup center Nick Samac. But adding an interior OL with center experience/promise is something I think Dan Morgan and company will do on Day 2 or Day 3 of the draft.
Some names my eyes gravitate to:
- Keylan Rutledge. The guard out of Georgia Tech has received high marks in the pre-draft process, and if he drops to the Panthers at No. 51 somehow, they should take him. He worked at guard and center during the 2026 Senior Bowl.
- Jake Slaughter. The 6-foot-5, 303-pound center out of Florida really impressed at the NFL Scouting Combine in February, notably with a 5.1-second 40-yard dash time. He’s a center by trade, and coach Dave Canales likes athletic centers who can get to the second level of the defense. Slaughter is projected to be a third- or fourth-round pick.
- Billy Schrauth. Another draft, another Notre Dame draft pick?At least, it’s possible with Schrauth, the 6-foot-5, 310-pound interior offensive lineman and team captain. He spent most of his college career at guard, but reports indicate a transition to center would be easy for him. He’s projected to be a Day 3 pick.
Trevor Etienne is still returning kicks, right?
Via email, Jeff asks: Who is going to be punt returner and kick returner in 2026? Trevor Etienne or someone else?
Zietlow: Trevor Etienne. At least at first.
The short rationale: Etienne will be the team’s primary returner until his responsibilities in the backfield increase. And my hunch is that the Panthers will start Chuba Hubbard, and then they’ll have 2024 second-round pick Jonathon Brooks be RB2. Brooks’s recovery, by all accounts, has been steady and has imbued the Panthers with a lot of confidence that he can help the team in 2026. And when measuring the potentials of Etienne and Brooks, I’d give the nod to Brooks.
Now, this is not to say that Etienne is getting reps as a punt returner because the team needs to “find something for him to do.” The playmaker can be dangerous with the ball in his hands. He steadily got more explosive as a returner as 2025 went on — and he regularly had the Panthers at a starting field position that was better than the league’s average. But until he gets more carries, he’ll be the team’s primary returner. (Now ... if it’s not Etienne? I’d imagine Jimmy Horn Jr. is the next player up for punt returner. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves.)
Christian Rozeboom is off to the Bucs
Via X, George asks: What’s the reasoning for letting inside linebacker Christian Rozeboom go?
Zietlow: Rozeboom is off to Tampa Bay. The reasoning can be boiled down to two names: Devin Lloyd and Claudin Cherelus.
Rozeboom was an adequate starting inside linebacker last year. His stats back that up: one interception, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery, two sacks and 131 tackles in 16 games played (including the playoffs). But the reality is that Rozeboom wasn’t going to start again — not with top-of-the-free-agent market LB Devin Lloyd and Panthers 2024 draft pick Trevin Wallace ahead of him. And the Panthers feel safe with the rest of their inside linebacker depth to not have to pay a lot of money to retain a backup, particularly with the way Cherelus played in 2025.
A trip into numbers for a moment: Rozeboom’s market was somewhere in the $3 million to $5 million APY range, according to Spotrac’s NFL Market Value calculator and other sources. He had a $2.5 million salary cap hit last year for the Panthers. And for a team that after a massive free agency needs to “make room” in the salary cap, keeping such a proven backup was a luxury the Panthers probably couldn’t afford.
Plus, Rozeboom probably feels he’s worthy to start somewhere. With the Tampa Bay Bucs, he’s projected to do just that.
Linebackers or offensive linemen?
Via X, Nate asks: What position group depth do you currently have more faith in: LB or OL?
Zietlow: It’s a great question. I’ve gone back forth on this one. But I’m settling on the linebacking crew. The team really likes Bam Martin-Scott. Jacoby Windmon has valuable starter reps. And beyond that, last year, the Panthers’ defense shape-shifted so much during games with a variety of packages — and had the dynamic personnel like safety Tre’Von Moehrig to do it — that it took a lot of pressure off of linebacker play.
The offensive line has a few more bodies, yes. But outside of Rasheed Walker — who will be the starter until left tackle Ikem Ekwonu comes back — there are a lot of players who haven’t yet proven themselves as starters. Chandler Zavala has been fighting the injury bug his whole career. Guard Saahdiq Charles played in two games in 2025; Ja’Tyre Carter hasn’t notched an NFL snap since 2023.
I think the Panthers will address these OL needs in the draft. (Maybe they should consider taking a tackle in Round 1?) They’ll also need to draft a safety, probably, as I talked about in the latest episode of our podcast called Processing Blue.
Long story short: If I’m the Panthers, I feel pretty solid at linebacker — and have a bit more urgency for improvement along the offensive line.
This story was originally published March 30, 2026 at 6:00 AM with the headline "Should the Carolina Panthers draft a center? And more in this week’s mailbag."
