Hayden Hurst doesn’t know yet whether the Panthers will draft Alabama’s Bryce Young, Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud or some other quarterback prospect. All he knows is that with the No. 1 overall pick, the Panthers will select a franchise quarterback.
The Panthers’ new tight end promises to help whoever that quarterback is.
“Tight ends are always a quarterback’s best friend,” Hurst said, via Augusta Stone of the team website. “Especially [for] a rookie coming in, you want that reliable guy in the middle of the field, where your vision is. Obviously, you need the guys on the outside, too, to make your life easier. But if you can have that reliable guy where you know he’s going to be somewhere within 10 yards or going down the middle of the field, and just put it up, that’s why I came here.”
Hurst worked with Lamar Jackson during Jackson’s first two seasons and Joe Burrow last season in Burrow’s third season. He has averaged 35 receptions for 344 yards and three touchdowns in five seasons.
He joins veteran receivers Adam Thielen and DJ Chark as free agent additions. They will help replace D.J. Moore, who was part of the trade with Chicago that allowed Carolina to move up to No. 1 overall in the draft.
Hurst expects the Panthers to allow him to reach his potential.
“It’s a really, really cool feeling when you come into your own and figure it out,” Hurst said. “Just listening to the coaches saying, ‘We’ve watched your film; we see what you bring to the table; we’re excited to have you in this building.’ Because it’s taken five years, I hadn’t really been given the opportunity until last year in Cincinnati, where they kind of let me be me.
“You do a lot of soul searching; you try to figure out. ‘Am I the problem in this situation? Is it me? Is it my skill set?’ It’s really just all about opportunity. I was given that last year in Cincinnati, and it kind of revitalized me and helped me learn who I am. So that’s what I’m going to bring here to Carolina.”
