Breaking down Panthers’ tight end depth chart: Can Tremble break out under new staff?

The Panthers are hoping that Hayden Hurst can elevate Carolina’s tight end room following a major decline in production at the position over the past few years.

Hurst, 29, signed a three-year, $21.75 million deal with the Panthers during the first week of free agency in March, and the tight end will be at the top of a depth chart that features four Matt Rhule era holdovers behind him. Of those holdovers, third-year tight end Tommy Tremble seemingly has the most upside, and with a new staff in place, the former third-round pick’s potential could be realized, especially under a creative play-designer like head coach Frank Reich.

Tremble spoke with The Observer last week, and the 23-year-old tight end was enthusiastic about the clean slate the room has been given under Reich and tight ends coach John Lilly this offseason.

“This is the first time that we’ve really been coached up, receiving-wise, other than us trying to figure it out on our own,” Tremble said. “This is really the first opportunity we’ve had to excel in the receiving game, and have points, and (receive) teaching points on how to attack this kind of leverage, attack this kind of defense. . . . Before it was more, you run it, you run what’s on paper and you try to make it work, and if it didn’t work, you’d try to figure it out yourself.

“So, having that kind of backing, that kind of support — from all over the coaching staff to the players, themselves — I think it’s been a world of difference in what our accelerating (of) the receiving game has been.”

With rookie Bryce Young set to oversee the offense, the Panthers need the tight end room to provide an outlet for the young quarterback. Given the fresh start at the position, Carolina could see a major uptick in production from the unit.

Here’s a breakdown of the Panthers’ depth chart at tight end:

Hayden Hurst

Ht/Wt: 6-4, 260 lbs.

Career Stats: 177 catches for 1,718 receiving yards and 14 touchdowns

Hurst, a 2018 first-round pick, has had an inconsistent career. He’s bounced around quite a bit during his time in the league and never been viewed among the upper echelon at his position. But the Panthers are hoping that his skill set and experience will improve the production output at tight end in the early years of the Reich era.

Hurst underwent sports hernia surgery in the spring, so he’s being eased back into drills during the offseason program. And while he hasn’t had much impact on the practice field to this point, Tremble has acknowledged that Hurst has already been an asset in the position room.

Once Hurst is ready to contribute from a physical standpoint, he will take on the starting tight end job. Given his ability to pick up yards after the catch, Hurst is an ideal fit for the play-calling philosophies of Reich and offensive coordinator Thomas Brown.

“I think you just look at (Reich’s) track record and what he’s done with all of those tight ends — (Antonio) Gates, (Zach) Ertz, Eric Ebron when he was in Indy — being that F guy, or whatever, that hybrid, if you will, which I am, it’s fun,” Hurst said earlier this month. “You can kind of move all over the place. . . . So, it’s a fun offense to be a part of.”

With the Panthers likely to be dependent on 11 personnel (1 RB, 1 TE, 3 WRs) this season, Hurst should find plenty of creases in the defense across the middle. If he can take advantage of those open looks and pick up additional yardage, he will be well-worth his free-agent deal.

Ian Thomas

Ht/Wt: 6-4, 260 lbs.

Career Stats: 111 catches for 999 receiving yards and four touchdowns

Thomas returned to the Panthers this offseason after taking a pay cut in March. The 27-year-old tight end is a tremendous blocker at the position, but he is likely to take a backseat to Hurst — and possibly Tremble — in 11 personnel groupings. Thomas is most likely to be utilized in 12 personnel (1 RB, 2 TEs, 2 WRs) packages as an additional in-line blocker.

However, with the new staff in place, the potential for Thomas to increase is receiving numbers is still there. Following the Rhule era, where tight ends were mostly used as additional blockers, Thomas and the rest of the holdovers stand to benefit from Reich and Thomas’ collective creativity.

Tommy Tremble

Ht/Wt: 6-4, 250 lbs.

Career Stats: 39 catches for 354 yards and four touchdowns

Tremble hasn’t really lived up to his pre-draft billing to this point. While he’s shown the blocking ability that he displayed in college, his receiving skills have lacked polish at the top level. Tremble told The Observer that he has learned more about leverage with route running under the new staff and embraced the opportunity to explore his versatility within the new offense.

“I can play all over,” Tremble said. “I can be lined up in the backfield, I can be lined up on the line, I can be lined up split out. I can just do everything that Frank would want me to do. And I think just having that flexibility opens up the playbook, and really let’s us let loose.”

Tremble is likely to be the primary backup for both Hurst and Thomas in 12 personnel packages. He could also be the immediate understudy for Hurst in 11 personnel as well, given his versatility, blocking ability and athleticism.

In May, Lilly said it was time for Tremble to take the next step in his development. If Tremble can show growth during the summer in training camp, he could be in for a major rise in playing time and targets.

Giovanni Ricci

Ht/Wt: 6-3, 240 lbs.

Career Stats: Eight catches for 100 yards

Ricci is a deep-depth tight end who has some intriguing versatility. While he was billed as a fullback as a draft prospect, Ricci showed last season that he can get downfield as a tight end.

Ricci — a strong special teams player — is competing to force the Panthers to keep four tight ends this season. Ricci will need to show that he can back up both tight end positions and shine on special teams to have a shot.

Stephen Sullivan

Ht/Wt: 6-5, 248 lbs.

Career Stats: Two catches for 46 yards

Sullivan is a superb athlete who has yet to stand out in the NFL. While the previous staff thought highly of his size-speed combination, those attributes never seemed to lead to consistent plays on offense.

With a new staff in town, Sullivan will need to grow as a route runner and blocker to stick around. Like Ricci, he needs to force the Panthers’ hand during final cuts, especially with Hurst, Thomas and Tremble ahead of both players on the depth chart.