Panthers' Jonathan Stewart: Facing serious competition from McCaffrey

Panthers general manager Dave Gettleman expects No. 8 overall draft pick Christian McCaffrey to have an immediate impact in the Carolina backfield complementing Stewart and Cam Newton, Bryan Strickland of the team's official website reports.

Analysis:

Gettleman said he's particularly impressed by McCaffrey's vision and quickness while running between the tackles -- perhaps suggesting the rookie could be an immediate threat to usurp Stewart's role as the early-down workhorse. At the very least, McCaffrey figures to have a key role catching passes while also eating into some of Stewart's rushing workload. Despite signing a one-year extension this offseason, the 30-year-old running back could be forced into a complementary role. The extension did reduce his 2017 cap hit, which should keep his spot on the roster secure.