Ja'Tavion Sanders

Ja'Tavion Sanders

22-Year-Old Tight EndTE
Carolina Panthers
Questionable
Injury Ankle
Est. Return 10/5/2025
Thu Practice: DNP
2025 Fantasy Outlook
A fourth-round pick last spring, Sanders got the chance to compete for a starting job right away and wound up making eight starts in 16 appearances. He led all Panthers TEs in targets (43), catches (33) and receiving yards (342), though Tommy Tremble – who made 11 starts – caught two TDs to Sanders’ one. Tremble is the better blocker, which means Sanders is likely headed for another timeshare, with rookie fifth-round pick Mitchell Evans also trying to enter the mix. Of the three, Sanders is by far the most promising as a pass catcher, as evidenced by topping 600 yards in both of his final two seasons at Texas. He's not an elite athlete, having run a 4.69 40 at 6-foot-4, 245 pounds, but he's young for his draft class (turned 22 this March) and can make would-be tacklers miss in the open field. Sanders' success will partially hinge on the development of third-year QB Bryce Young, who finally showed some promise with a 7:0 TD:INT in his last three starts of 2024 after posting an ugly 19:19 ratio through his first 25 NFL starts. Read Past Outlooks
RANKS
#314.16
ADP
Signed a four-year, $4.89 million contract with the Panthers in May of 2024.
Sits out another practice
TECarolina Panthers
Ankle
October 2, 2025
Sanders (ankle) didn't practice Thursday, Darin Gantt of the Panthers' official site reports.
ANALYSIS
After sitting out last week's loss to the Patriots due to a right ankle sprain, Sanders may be trending toward a second straight absence this Sunday against the Dolphins. He sat out Wednesday's walk-through session and remained a spectator Thursday, leaving him with just one more opportunity to log some on-field work before the Panthers' Week 5 contest. If Sanders remains out this weekend, Tommy Tremble would be in line for another start at tight end after producing a 5-42-1 receiving line on eight targets in his team's loss to New England.
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NFL Stats
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Fantasy/Red Zone Stats
See red zone opportunities inside the 20, 10 and 5-yard lines along with the percentage of time they converted the opportunity into a touchdown.
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Advanced NFL Stats
How do Ja'Tavion Sanders' 2025 advanced stats compare to other tight ends?
This section compares his advanced stats with players at the same position. The bar represents the player's percentile rank. For example, if the bar is halfway across, then the player falls into the 50th percentile for that metric and it would be considered average. The longer the bar, the better it is for the player.
  • Air Yards Per Game
    The number of air yards he is averaging per game. Air yards measure how far the ball was thrown downfield for both complete and incomplete passes. Air yards are recorded as a negative value when the pass is targeted behind the line of scrimmage. All air yards data is from Sports Info Solutions and does not include throwaways as targeted passes.
  • Air Yards Per Snap
    The number of air yards he is averaging per offensive snap.
  • % Team Air Yards
    The percentage of the team's total air yards he accounts for.
  • % Team Targets
    The percentage of the team's total targets he accounts for.
  • Avg Depth of Target
    Also known as aDOT, this stat measures the average distance down field he is being targeted at.
  • Catch Rate
    The number of catches made divided by the number of times he was targeted by the quarterback.
  • Drop Rate
    The number of passes he dropped divided by the number of times he was targeted by the quarterback.
  • Avg Yds After Catch
    The number of yards he gains after the catch on his receptions.
  • % Targeted On Route
    Targets divided by total routes run. Also known as TPRR.
  • Avg Yds Per Route Run
    Receiving yards divided by total routes run. Also known as YPRR.
Air Yards Per Game
31.3
 
Air Yards Per Snap
0.75
 
% Team Air Yards
10.0%
 
% Team Targets
9.9%
 
Avg Depth of Target
6.7 Yds
 
Catch Rate
78.6%
 
Drop Rate
0.0%
 
Avg Yds After Catch
3.3
 
% Targeted On Route
17.7%
 
Avg Yds Per Route Run
1.16
 
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2025 NFL Game Log
2025
2024
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Scoring
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PPR
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2024 NFL Game Log
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Snap Distribution / Depth Chart
Snap Counts
Snap %
Carolina PanthersPanthers 2025 TE Snap Distribution
#% of Team Snaps

14754%
12646%
7126%
176%
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How often does Ja'Tavion Sanders run a route when on the field for a pass play?
This data will let you see how Ja'Tavion Sanders and the other tight ends for the Panthers are being used. Some tight ends may have a lot of snaps, but they're not that useful for fantasy purposes because they're not actually running routes. This data will help you see when this is the case.
Ja'Tavion Sanders
79 routes   14 targets
← More Blocking
% Routes Run
More Receiving →
67%
25 routes   6 targets
36%
6 routes   2 targets
40%
66 routes   14 targets
47%
Receiving Alignment Breakdown
See where Ja'Tavion Sanders lined up on the field and how he performed at each spot.
Detailed
Grouped
Side
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This Week's Opposing Pass Defense
How does the Dolphins pass defense compare to other NFL teams this season?
The bars represents the team's percentile rank (based on QB Rating Against). The longer the bar, the better their pass defense is. The team and position group ratings only include players that are currently on the roster and not on injured reserve. The list of players in the table only includes defenders with at least 3 attempts against them.
MIA
vs Dolphins
Sunday, Oct 5th at 1:00PM
Overall QB Rating Against
116.7
 
Cornerbacks
118.1
 
Safeties
78.5
 
Linebackers
115.4
 
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2025 Ja'Tavion Sanders Split Stats
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Measurables Review View College Player Page
How do Ja'Tavion Sanders' measurables compare to other tight ends?
This section compares his draft workout metrics with players at the same position. The bar represents the player's percentile rank. For example, if the bar is halfway across, then the player falls into the 50th percentile for that metric and it would be considered average.
Height
6' 4"
 
Weight
252 lbs
 
40-Yard Dash
4.69 sec
 
Shuttle Time
4.32 sec
 
Hand Length
10.13 in
 
Arm Length
32.88 in
 
Recent RotoWire Articles Featuring Ja'Tavion Sanders See More
Recent RotoWire Articles Featuring Ja'Tavion Sanders See More
2024 Fantasy Outlook
Many prognosticators viewed Sanders as the No. 2 tight end prospect in the 2024 NFL Draft behind only Brock Bowers, but NFL front offices apparently didn’t agree, taking Ben Sinnott in the second round (Washington) and Tip Reiman in the third (Arizona) before Sanders landed in Carolina with the first pick of the fourth round. The slide could be a blessing in disguise for the tight end out of Texas, as his top competition for snaps is now fourth-year pro Tommy Tremble, who had fewer than 200 receiving yards in each of his first three seasons. Sanders, meanwhile, exceeded 600 receiving yards in each of his last two college seasons while competing for targets with a slew of other NFL prospects. And while not quite a burner -- he ran a 4.69 40 at the combine -- he showcased big-play ability last year with 12 catches of 20-plus yards, second only to Bowers among FBS tight ends. The 6-foot-4, 245-pound Sanders should instantly be the best receiving threat in Carolina's tight end room, though shortcomings in blocking and route running could curtail his playing time early on.
More Fantasy News
Remains sidelined at practice
TECarolina Panthers
Ankle
October 1, 2025
Sanders (ankle) was a non-participant at Wednesday's walkthrough.
ANALYSIS
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Ruled out this week
TECarolina Panthers
Ankle
September 26, 2025
Sanders (ankle) has been ruled out for Sunday's game at New England.
ANALYSIS
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Considered week-to-week
TECarolina Panthers
Ankle
September 24, 2025
Sanders (ankle) is week-to-week due to the high-ankle sprain he suffered during the Panthers' win over the Falcons in Week 3, David Newton of ESPN.com reports.
ANALYSIS
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Diagnosed with high-ankle sprain
TECarolina Panthers
Ankle
September 22, 2025
Sanders has been diagnosed with a high-ankle sprain following his MRI on Monday and is expected to miss multiple weeks, Joe Person of The Athletic reports.
ANALYSIS
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Awaiting MRI results
TECarolina Panthers
Ankle
September 22, 2025
The Panthers are awaiting MRI results to diagnose the severity of Sanders' right ankle/foot injury, though initial X-rays were encouraging, David Newton of ESPN.com reports.
ANALYSIS
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Latest Fantasy Rumors
Reshapes body in offseason
TECarolina Panthers
June 7, 2025
Sanders attended OTAs 10 pounds lighter and noticeably faster, Joseph Person of The Athletic reports.
ANALYSIS
Sanders was pushed by head coach Dave Canales to reshape his body following the 2024 season, and the second-year tight end committed by improving his diet. Canales noted after Tuesday's practice that Sanders "came back in great shape" and that he's "looking for a big year" out of the Texas product. Sanders showed flashes of his potential in his rookie campaign, but a neck injury in Week 12 against Kansas City hampered his production over his final five games of the regular season.
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