Ian Thomas

Stuck in Greg Olsen's shadow the last two years, Thomas enters his third season with a fantastic opportunity in a Carolina tight-end room that otherwise consists of journeymen, blocking specialists and undrafted rookies. The 2018 fourth-round pick even has experience handling an every-down role, something he was tasked with whenever Olsen got hurt. Of course, experience and results are different things, with Thomas perhaps coming up a bit short in the latter department. The Panthers essentially used him as a dump-off target, with aDOTs of 6.1 and 6.0 his first two seasons. The lack of downfield work is a bit surprising for a player with 4.74 wheels in a 260-pound frame, though Thomas hasn't done himself any favors with an 8.9 percent drop rate. Competition for targets will be fierce in an offense with Christian McCaffrey, D.J. Moore, Robby Anderson and Curtis Samuel.

The Panthers didn't have big plans for Thomas as a rookie, but he was capable when called upon after Greg Olsen suffered another foot injury, posting a 26-268-2 line in seven starting assignments. With Olsen's ability to stay healthy still a significant concern, it's possible Thomas becomes the team's primary tight end this fall. Thomas was merely a fourth-round pick out of Indiana after a quiet college career and a 4.74 40-yard dash, but it's notable he didn't appear totally lost in his first go-round at a complicated position. Be ready to pounce if the news breaks poorly for Olsen.

Drafted in the fourth round of this year's draft, Thomas profiles as an athletic developmental project behind Pro Bowler Greg Olsen. However, considering Olsen's injury struggles last season, as well as his advanced age, Thomas could grow in importance sooner than later.