The Carolina Panthers are giving former first-round pick Kenyon Green a second chance, inviting the 2022 No. 15 overall selection to their rookie minicamp last week in Charlotte. After a disappointing season with the Philadelphia Eagles, the 24-year-old offensive lineman found himself unsigned—until the Panthers decided to take a look.
Green, listed at a powerful 6-foot-4 and 323 pounds, lined up at right guard during the two-day camp. For a team coming off an NFC South championship, adding depth to the interior line makes sense, especially with starter Robert Hunt recovering from a torn left biceps suffered in Week 2 last season.
"It's just an opportunity to get better, to get on a team, and I feel like I can help the team out wherever that might be," Green told The Charlotte Observer after Friday's practice. "I'm just here to compete and have fun playing football."
The Panthers currently have Chandler Zavala, Ja'Tyre Carter, and Saahdiq Charles as backup interior linemen heading into OTAs. Damien Lewis holds down left guard, but the team lost Cade Mays and Austin Corbett in free agency and chose not to re-sign Brady Christensen or Jake Curhan. That leaves room for a player with Green's pedigree to carve out a role.
Head coach Dave Canales sees the potential. "Really talented guy," he said after Friday's practice. "Our offensive line coach Joe Gilbert and run-game coordinator Harold Goodwin had him graded pretty highly coming out of college. I'm excited for him to have this opportunity."
Green, a Texas A&M product, was drafted by the Houston Texans in 2022 but struggled with consistency before landing in Philadelphia. Now, with the Panthers' OTAs scheduled from late May through early June and mandatory minicamp on June 9-11, the question is whether this tryout turns into a longer-term deal. With 11 undrafted free agents already signed, Carolina has options—but Green's talent might just earn him a spot on the roster.