Carolina Panthers vs. Jacksonville Jaguars Week 1 Preview: Young Stars Look To Shine

The matchup between the Jacksonville Jaguars and Carolina Panthers will feature a ton of young talent, including two top 10 picks of the 2025 NFL Draft. On top of this, there will be two previous No. 1 picks going against each other in Trevor Lawrence (#1 Pick in 2021) and Bryce Young (#1 Pick in 2023). Both teams will look to take that next step, making a playoff push behind their superstar quarterbacks.

Both Teams Need A Strong 2025

Both the Jaguars and Panthers will face significant pressure to perform this season. The Jaguars need to have a strong season under Trevor Lawrence and first-year Head Coach Liam Coen. Jacksonville will rely on its young wideouts to have big years, and needs their big investment in Lawrence to be paid for this season. The good news for Jaguars fans is that they have a lot of young talent to watch in 2025. The biggest question is whether the defense is strong enough to contend with other top teams in the AFC.

 As for the Panthers, Bryce Young needs to continue to ball out. Dave Canales proved last year that he is the right guy for the job, and needs to show improvement with a more confident and poised Young. The offense needs to be firing on all cylinders, with the defense expected to be one of the worst in football this year. In a similar situation to the Jaguars, the offensive talent isn’t what’s going to be in question; it will all be on the defensive side of the football.

It’s Go Time For The Jaguars

Since drafting Lawrence in 2021, the Jaguars haven’t lived up to expectations. There have been many reasons as to why, poor coaching, along with ownership, and failed roster construction, haven’t allowed Lawrence to reach his full potential. This year, there is more balance on both sides of the ball, giving Lawrence everything he needs to succeed.

Brian Thomas Jr was Jacksonville’s top pick in 2024, having a breakout year as a rookie. He hauled in over 1,000 yards and 10 touchdowns. While Thomas’ 2024 campaign was definitely fun to watch, the surrounding cast wasn’t. Christian Kirk and Evan Engram both had season-ending injuries, making last year’s season a lost cause.

This year, Jacksonville made a blockbuster trade to move up and select Colorado WR/CB Travis Hunter with the second overall pick. Hunter will be used primarily as a receiver, and he and Thomas will be an awesome duo to watch. It’ll be interesting to see who will step up behind them, with Tim Patrick and Brenton Strange being the next options.

The defense has tremendous talent in the trenches between Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker. The secondary remains a weak point, as its depth is thin at the Safety position. The Panthers’ young WR core will be a big test for them in the first week of the season. In a weaker division, there’s no reason why Jacksonville can’t take home a division title for the first time since 2022.

Panthers Look To Build Off Of 2024

The Panthers got off to a rough start last year, leading to the benching of Young. While it did create many storylines, it would only benefit Young, as he looked better immediately when he took over the starting role. His confidence was the highest it had been since he was drafted, and Canales brought out the best in him. An improved offensive line led to Young being able to spread the ball all the way down the field and get the fanbase excited for what was to come in 2025.

Carolina selected Arizona WR Tetairoa McMillan with the 8th overall pick in the NFL Draft, giving Bryce Young another weapon in his arsenal. Their connection proved to be strong throughout training camp and preseason, growing closer off the field. While the Panthers are strong on the offensive side of the ball, the defense is the main concern.

Their defense did show some promise towards the end of last season, but overall, it was a tough year. They were ranked as the worst Defense in the NFL last season, allowing over 400 opponent yards per game. They really couldn’t stop anyone, whether it was in the passing or running game, putting the offense behind early in a lot of games. They were aggressive in free agency, bringing in multiple pieces who should help in the passing game.

Offenses Will Be Out To Play

This game will most likely be a shootout between both offenses, with both quarterbacks airing the ball out. The Jaguars had the worst passing defense in the league last year, which is great news for McMillan. Young will look to exploit the Jaguars’ weak secondary, but Jacksonville’s defensive line could cause havoc against the Panthers’ offensive line.

 The Jaguars will have the same gameplay as the Panthers do, which is to attack the secondary and push the ball down the field as much as possible. Hunter will be a focal point in this game, as he’ll be used primarily on offense and mildly on defense. I’d expect Travis Etienne to have a strong game, going up against one of the worst rushing defenses that they’ll face all season.

This game will be fun to watch, as there is a ton of young talent on the field, including both head coaches being former offensive coordinators for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in back-to-back seasons.