Mike Moraitis· Aug 2, 2026
Moraitis expects Chuba Hubbard to open 2026 as Carolina's lead back with Jonathon Brooks heavily involved in a near-even timeshare, and sees Brooks' upside giving him a chance to eventually take over the backfield.
“Hubbard should be considered the favorite to lead the Panthers' backfield out of the gate, but we fully believe Brooks is going to be involved from the get-go with a fairly even split of touches.”
published in writing · Sports Illustrated · read the original →
3 checkable claims — 2 depth chart calls and 1 sleeper call — each graded on its own rather than as one all-or-nothing bet.
It names 3 players and teams, each linked to their own record.
None of them have settled yet — they grade once their results are in.
Of the 2 unsettled calls enough other pundits have weighed in on, this one lands above the room on 1 and below it on 1.
Where this call stands in the room
Jonathon Brooks · 2026 season32 calls from 13 pundits between 1 and 2. Mike Moraitis said 2. the room's median is 1. not settled yet
Every dot is a call somebody published on the same question. Where the dots land says where this take sits, not whether it is right — nothing here is settled yet. Hover a dot for the name and number; click it to read that take.
Their call against the room
Their call against everyone else's, while this is still unsettled.
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Who this take is about
3 checkable claims in this take
Each one is scored on its own against the published methodology. A pundit naming several outcomes is graded on each, not on all-or-nothing.
Jonathon Brooks to be 2nd on the depth chart
“we fully believe Brooks is going to be involved from the get-go with a fairly even split of touches”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Jonathon Brooks to outplay his draft cost
“Brooks' upside leaves the door wide open for him to seize control of the backfield and earn more work than his veteran teammate”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Chuba Hubbard to be 1st on the depth chart
“Hubbard should be considered the favorite to lead the Panthers' backfield out of the gate”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
What others said about the same people
- AJ HawkGame Outcome Picks · Carolina PanthersMiss · 0AJ Hawk picked the Ravens over the Colts, Carolina to beat Chicago outright, the Bills at Houston, the Bengals over Tampa Bay, the Titans over the Jets, the Raiders over Miami, the Packers at Minnesota and the Cowboys over the Giants.
- Brady QuinnGame Outcome Picks · Carolina PanthersMiss · 0In the show's Week 1 picks-against-the-spread segment, Quinn took the Steelers over the Falcons, the Panthers at home over the Bears, the Bengals over the Buccaneers, the Texans at home over the Bills, and the Cowboys on the road over the Giants.
- Tyler SullivanGame Outcome Picks · Carolina PanthersMiss · 0An unsigned CBS Sports piece flags five Week 1 underdogs as upset candidates: the 49ers over the Rams in Melbourne, the Texans over the Bills, the Panthers over the Bears, the Jets over the Titans, and the Broncos over the Chiefs on Monday night.
- John PluymGame Outcome Picks · Carolina PanthersMiss · 0Pluym's Week 1 straight-up picks for all 16 games.
- Zach RobertsRoster Spot Calls · Isaiah SimmonsHit · 100Roberts projects the Carolina Panthers' 53-man roster following the Hall of Fame Game, naming every player he expects to make the team at each position, and pegs AJ Dillon as the fourth running back on the depth chart.
- Nathan JahnkeRoster Spot Calls · Feleipe FranksHit · 100An unsigned PFF preseason recap makes numerous depth-chart, roster and usage projections across the league, based on Week 3 preseason playing time — including Roman Wilson winning Pittsburgh's third receiver job, Luke McCaffrey's roster spot being in danger, Charlie Kolar as the Chargers' top tight end, and Kendre Miller as the Saints' RB2.
More depth chart calls
The same kind of call, about other players and teams.
- Tyler SullivanDepth Chart Calls · Drew LockMiss · 0In an unsigned Week 2 odds roundup, the piece states that with Sam Darnold hurt, Drew Lock will likely start at quarterback for Seattle against Arizona.
- Ralph VacchianoDepth Chart Calls · Tua TagovailoaMiss · 0Vacchiano ranks all 32 NFL teams entering the 2026 season, with the Rams first and Dolphins last. He also flags the Giants as a potential surprise team with a top-10 defense, and notes Deshaun Watson won Cleveland's QB job while Tua Tagovailoa starts Week 1 in Atlanta.
- Pat FitzmauriceDepth Chart Calls · Kyler MurrayHit · 100Fitzmaurice touts Kyler Murray as a value QB who will start Week 1 for Minnesota, Tyler Shough as the Saints' undisputed starter, and Juwan Johnson and Terrance Ferguson as late-round tight end targets.
- Pat FitzmauriceDepth Chart Calls · Kyler MurrayHit · 100Fitzmaurice expects Kyler Murray to be Minnesota's Week 1 starter and calls him one of the better quarterback values in 2026 drafts; he also views Jordan Love as a top-10 real-life quarterback but only a QB2 in fantasy.
- Steven RuizDepth Chart Calls · Michael Penix Jr.Miss · 0In a retrospective tiering of all 32 starting quarterbacks, Ruiz treats Michael Penix Jr. as the Falcons' Week 1 starter over Kirk Cousins, whom he places in his lowest tier.
- Mike FlorioDepth Chart Calls · Shedeur SandersMiss · 0Florio reports the Browns will start Deshaun Watson in Week 1 but predicts Shedeur Sanders will likely be the starting quarterback by Week 3.