CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- A picture from Tight End University in late June says a lot about the Carolina Panthers' tight end situation heading into training camp.
There was 2024 fourth-round pick Ja'Tavion Sanders pulling his lip down with his right pinkie to show the grillz he added to his lower teeth.
Behind him to his right is 2021 third-round pick Tommy Tremble, recovering from mid-May back surgery that will keep him off the field when training camp begins, giving the peace sign.
Behind to his left is Greg Olsen, one of the founding members of TEU (along with Travis Kelce and George Kittle) and arguably the best tight end in Carolina history, with exaggerated wide-open eyes and a big smile.
The photograph is a reminder that Sanders is front and center in the Panthers' tight end room, even though it's his second NFL season, and that Tremble remains in the background because of his surgery.
It's also a reminder that Olsen still hasn't been replaced since his final season with Carolina in 2019.
Sanders believes that's about to change with him and fifth-round rookie Mitchell Evans leading the charge at tight end until Tremble is fully recovered, along with a wide receiver corps featuring 2025 first-rounder Tetairoa McMillan and 2024 first-rounder Xavier Legette.
"We're just going to have matchup nightmares on the field, in my opinion,'' Sanders told ESPN during mandatory minicamp in June.
Carolina tight ends haven't scared anybody the past five years. They've ranked last in the NFL in targets (383), receptions (241), receiving yards (2,329), receiving touchdowns (13) and receiving first downs (104).
For perspective, during a three-season stretch from 2014 to 2016, Olsen equaled or topped what Carolina tight ends have collectively produced in the five years since he left. He had 376 targets, 241 receptions, 3,185 yards, 16 touchdowns and 161 receiving first downs.
The Kansas City Chiefs' tight ends have led the league the past five years in those categories in all but touchdowns (55, which ranks second). They have 519 more targets (902) than the Panthers, 408 more receptions (649), 4,907 more receiving yards (7,236) and 292 more receiving first downs (396) during that span.
Carolina also is well below the league average during that span in targets (581), receptions (405), receiving yards (4,222), receiving touchdowns (30) and receiving first downs (216).
Need more? Sanders and Tremble combined for 56 catches last season, a total which 13 individual tight ends topped in 2024 and half of what rookie Brock Bowers of the Las Vegas Raiders had.
So there's a lot of room for improvement.
Tremble's situation doesn't help, but tight ends coach Pat McPherson likes the potential. Here is one reason why: In one of the final practices before Carolina began its final break before camp, Sanders caught a touchdown pass from Bryce Young.
The play itself was a highlight on a day the offense excelled, but that's not what caught McPherson's eye.
"Every guy in the tight end group was jumping up and down and excited for him,'' McPherson said. "It's nice when the guys come together like that.''
Coach Dave Canales also likes what he has seen. He isn't worried that nobody has stepped up to be dominant like Olsen was. He balks at the mention his group is just an accessory.
"Those guys make us go,'' Canales said. "The versatility. We ask them to do the dirty work, to block in the run game, pass protection at times, and they show up. Maybe we send them out on a route.
"If you're talking about targets, that just kind of happens organically. The more comfortable Bryce gets with JT, with Mitch, when we get Tommy back, it's that chemistry that's going to create those opportunities for them.''
Despite his surgery, Tremble is at the heart of that chemistry. He attended TEU even though he couldn't participate in on-field drills, and he attended most of the Panthers' offseason meetings and film sessions.
"He's a huge part of it,'' McPherson said. "He'll be back when we get into the season.''
Sanders has taken over as the on-field leader. It began with new eating habits that stripped 10 pounds from his frame, making him look more like a wide receiver and almost as fast as one. He spent a week in California training with Young.
He did it all without being told to.
"It makes me feel confident about him going into the summer, having a plan for his prep and looking for a big year out of him,'' Canales said.
Said McPherson: "He went away and said, 'Let's crank up my focus. I know I've got to be a leader in this group.' He's done it without me having to say, 'You're the guy.' It's a real credit to him.''
McPherson sees that unselfishness throughout his group, another reason for his optimism.
Sanders sees it, too.
"Tremble, he definitely excels the room,'' he said. "But in our room, I don't think there is any drop-off. I think it can be a dominant room because there's no drop-off.''
If the tight ends can fill that dominant role the way Olsen did for much of his nine seasons with Carolina, then perhaps Sanders' prediction of nightmare matchups can come to fruition.
"They're the life of what we're trying to do,'' Canales said. "They tie the whole thing together.''