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5 Biggest Winners (And 3 Losers) From Panthers’ Preseason Win Over Jaguars
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- 5 Biggest Winners (And 3 Losers) From Panthers’ Preseason Win Over Jaguars
The Carolina Panthers have been in Jacksonville this week. The team participated in joint practices with the Jaguars , and the teams played in a preseason battle on Friday night.
The Panthers were hoping to bounce back after a disappointing performance last weekend, and that's exactly what happened. Most of the starters got to play, and we saw good performances on both sides of the ball.
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Some players really helped themselves, while some others are now on borrowed time. Let's identify the biggest winners and losers from this game.
Winner: RB A.J. Dillon
A.J. Dillon is fighting hard to make this roster. The veteran is probably the favorite to claim the RB4 spot, assuming the team keeps a fourth running back. Dillon took five carries for 16 yards and one score against the Jaguars .
Dillon also caught two passes for eight yards on the night. The veteran isn't loading up the stat sheet, but he's showing good anticipation and breaking tackles. Dillon is probably closing in on a spot.
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Loser: WR Ja'seem Reed
Ja'seem Reed has been one of the biggest risers of the summer. The receiver has been catching everything and impressing the coaching staff with his football IQ and speed.
Unfortunately, Reed was unable to play on Friday night with a calf injury. This is disappointing because Reed seemed to be so close to securing a roster spot. And while he was out, fellow bubble receivers Jimmy Horn Jr. and John Metchie III had great games, which only complicates things.
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Winner: Depth Receivers
Speaking of Horn and Metchie, the depth receivers were awesome against the Jaguars. Metchie led the way with six catches for 77 yards, while Casey Washington caught four passes for 47 yards and one touchdown.
Metchie has had an awesome preseason , and it's going to be hard to keep him off the roster. Even Roc Taylor got in on the action, catching a 16-yard touchdown pass. Horn only caught one pass, but he contributed in other ways.
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Loser: TE Ja'Tavion Sanders
Perhaps nobody on the team has had a bigger fall than Ja'Tavion Sanders this summer. The tight end is fourth on the depth chart now after the Darren Waller signing.
Sanders had a big chance on Friday night as Waller didn't suit up. With a big performance, Sanders could have put himself right back into the mix. Instead, Sanders only caught one pass for six yards. Sanders' stock is at an all-time low.
Winner: Offensive Line
The offensive line's performance was not good last week against the Bills. The interior, in particular, was awful, and it was starting to look concerning for the season. Well, the unit wasn't incredible on Friday, but it was much better.
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Brady Christensen and Sam Hecht were good, and the unit as a whole was much better in the ground game. Running lanes were opened up, and while some pressures were allowed, the Jaguars didn't collect a single sack.
Loser: OLB Trevis Gipson
Trevis Gipson came into the summer looking like a roster lock. The veteran was thought to be a key depth piece, especially after Nic Scourton went down for the season. However, the depth chart might be changing a little this preseason.
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Gipson only collected one tackle on Friday night, while Cam Gill , who has been on a tear, collected one tackle, had one pressure, and recovered a fumble. It's not hard to imagine Gipson being left off at this point.
Winner: OLB Patrick Jones II
Patrick Jones II is set to play a much bigger role now with Scourton out for the year. Jones is coming off his own injury, only having played in four games last year, but he's been a productive player in the past.
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Jones is trying to hold off Princely Umanmielen for a starting job this summer, and he had a good showing Friday night. Jones collected one tackle and picked up the Panthers' only sack of the night.
Winner: CB Chau Smith-Wade
All summer, we've been asking for a cornerback to step up and claim the nickel spot, and it might finally be happening. Chau Smith-Wade is battling Corey Thornton for the job, and Smith-Wade was much better on Friday night.
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Smith-Wade collected one tackle and picked up an interception- the Panthers' first forced turnover of the preseason.
This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Aug 22, 2026, where it first appeared in the NFL section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
