On Tuesday, the Carolina Panthers hit the field for their latest outing of organized team activities. The session marked their fifth workout of the phase, with the sixth and final installment set to take place on Thursday.
So, what did we learn from the penultimate practice?
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Here are the five biggest takeaways from yesterday’s OTAs:
Speedy rookie slows it down
Wide receiver Jimmy Horn Jr. has garnered quite a bit of attention this spring. But that hype train came to a temporary stop, as the 2025 sixth-round pick did not participate in practice due to a hamstring injury.
Head coach Dave Canales, however, didn’t appear too concerned about Horn’s status moving forward.
“With Jimmy Horn, he’s got a hamstring that we’re managing right now,” Canales told reporters. “So, we’re just rehabbing him, he’s gonna return to play and then as soon as we feel like he’s ready to get back out there, we’ll bring him back out.”
Tommy Tremble’s timeline
Canales also provided a small update on tight end Tommy Tremble, who recently underwent back surgery.
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“I don’t know specifically what the timeline is,” Canales stated. “There’s a window in there he could get back to us at some point as we go into the preseason in camp. But right now, it’s just like we have to take it one day at a time.”
Tremble is not expected to be ready for the start of training camp.
Cornerback competition
Carolina’s lack of depth at the cornerback position remains one of the team’s biggest question marks. But Canales, on a day that was ended by an interception from second-year corner Shemar Bartholomew, seems fine with what’s brewing in the secondary.
“Shemar, Akay’s [Akayleb Evans] doing a great job, Corey Thornton has shown up a couple of times and made some plays—so really feel good about the competition that’s happening there,” Canales stated. “Chau Smith-Wade, of course, plays inside and outside. And he’s having a really great spring, just carrying over schematically and he looks great.
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“A lot of it comes to [Jonathan] Cooley taking these guys through their everyday drills and watching their agilities really show up in practice, and the guys are really grasping it right now.”
Canales, however, didn’t shoot down the prospect of dipping into free agency to eventually add to the room.
Tetairoa McMillan’s progress
Horn wasn’t the only rookie receiver Canales talked about. He was asked about first-rounder Tetairoa McMillan too.
“He’s really taken to the coaching, first and foremost,” he said. “The goal is to get him comfortable with the system, the different types of plays, and the different formations. We’re starting to make it more challenging in terms of moving it around in different spots. He’s handling it great. That gives him his best opportunity to play fast.
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“I can tell when a guy’s not comfortable because they look a little methodical out there. And so to see him be able to play fast, he looks pretty comfortable. But I know he’ll probably be the first one to come up here and say. I don’t feel like I have everything totally down pat. And that’s the goal, is to get him to where he’s completely comfortable.”
The WR room in McMillan’s words
McMillan himself took some time to chat as well, and spoke about the chemistry of the wideout group.
“It’s funny,” he said. “If you really look at our receiver room—we’re so diverse, yet we get along very well. It’s a huge testament to everybody’s humility that we have in our group. Nobody’s entitled. At the end of the day, we all wanna see each other succeed. If one person wins, we all win. I’m happy and I’m proud to be in this receiver room.”
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Along with McMillan and Horn, the bunch also features 2024 first-round pick Xavier Legette, 34-year-old Adam Thielen, 2024 undrafted signee Jalen Coker, eighth-year veteran David Moore and former Pro Bowler Hunter Renfrow.
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This article originally appeared on Panthers Wire: Panthers 2025 OTAs: Biggest takeaways from Tuesday’s practice