5 under-the-radar Carolina Panthers who will need to step up after the bye

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You heard the MVP chants for Bryce Young. You saw the league-wide recognition given to Tetairoa McMillan. You know Chuba Hubbard isn’t going anywhere — and he’s quietly but consistently climbing in the record books because of it.

What else do you know?

That the Carolina Panthers will need many others to step up if they want to make 2026 as good as it can be.

The Panthers, battered and bruised as they are, will be counting on these five players in particular to ensure that their momentum isn’t lost after their 2-2 start. Here’s a look at these five — it’s an incomplete list, sure, but an important starting point.

If you’re a devoted Carolina Panthers fan, you know who Brycen Tremayne is. You hear him paired with descriptors like “core four player” and “special teams ace.” But in the contest against the Detroit Lions, Tremayne was both a contributor on special teams and on offense — he played 92% of offensive snaps and 53% of special teams snaps.

Tremayne will presumably be active every week this year, regardless of injuries to the WR room. But his role will certainly take an uptick now with Xavier Legette out for an at-minimum three more games due to a knee injury. At 6-foot-4, 212 pounds, he has the ranginess and athleticism that head coach Dave Canales likes in his X and Z receivers, and he’ll get a lot of opportunities in those roles.

It doesn’t hurt that Young doesn’t mind throwing it to him, too. Through four games, the at-times fourth receiving option has still hauled in six receptions on nine targets for 115 yards. That’s already creeping up on his total from 2025 (160 yards).

The Panthers’ reserve running back and starting punt/kick returner will “for sure” be active for the Week 6 game against the Philadelphia Eagles, according to Canales last week. He spent the first part of the season on the injured reserve with an ankle injury he sustained in the final preseason game this summer.

Etienne will be brought in to furnish some excitement in the return game — a nice blend of the explosive Jimmy Horn Jr. and the dependable David Moore — and also give the Panthers a different look out of the backfield. Hubbard has been carrying the weight of the run game pretty much by himself through four weeks; his usage wasn’t helped by the fact that backup running back Jonathon Brooks was placed on IR because of surgery to his core. Etienne can not only shoulder some of that but also provide a receiving spark when called upon.

This Panthers’ interior offensive line needs some stability. And it all starts with starting center Luke Fortner.

The free-agent addition hasn’t had his best year to date. He’s allowed 15 pressures and one sack through four games, according to Pro Football Focus, and is snapping to a quarterback that is pressured at the highest rate (47.2%) of all quarterbacks in the NFL. He’s been better blocking in the run game — but the Panthers will be relying on his play across the board to improve in the back-half of the year.

His emergence is made more important when you consider the fact that left guard Damien Lewis missed Week 4 with an elbow injury; Lewis should be back for Week 6, but that’s still a return-to-play process.

The Panthers have a cornerback conundrum. Any team would when you lose a Pro Bowler (Jaycee Horn) and one of the most underrated corners in the league (Mike Jackson) on the same day. And while there are questions swirling about Akayleb Evans and whether Evans will be replaced by Chau Smith-Wade, one player didn’t get the same scrutiny.

That’s rookie Will Lee.

And that’s because Lee, no matter what, will have to play.

Lee has had a fine season to date. He finds himself in the right positions often, and he’s a pretty sure tackler. He should’ve arguably notched an interception against the Browns (and taken it to the house, even).

But he’ll need to sustain this play as the Panthers navigate through some choppy waters through at least Week 12, when Carolina is at the earliest expecting to get Horn and Jackson back. In between now and then, the Panthers face a gauntlet of quarterbacks: Jalen Hurts, (potentially) Baker Mayfield, Jordan Love and Lamar Jackson among them.

The second-year outside linebacker hasn’t been perfect. But he’s shown remarkable potential. He’s notched a career-high three sacks so far through 2026, and that’s only on 130 snaps in the season to date (45.6% of defensive snaps).

That usage could potentially be bumped up against Philadelphia and beyond. It’s still unclear exactly how long Jaelan Phillips’ hamstring injury will keep him sidelined. More snaps mean more sack opportunities — but also more responsibility, not just as a pass rusher but also in defending the run and ensuring that edges are sealed and pockets are contained.

Coaches have long said that the sky is the limit for Umanmielen, even as he’s been in a reserve role behind Phillips and Pat Jones. That limit will be tested soon.