Christian McCaffrey had a defined role in the Carolina Panthers' 2017 offense. With nearly as many targets (113) as rushes (117), McCaffrey was asked to be a true hybrid while Jonathan Stewart managed the bulk of the rushing workload (198 carries).

However, Stewart was released by the Panthers, who never sought any additional competition at the running back position through either free agency or the draft. Instead, McCaffrey heads into 2018 competing with Cameron Artis-Payne for early-down duties. While Artis-Payne will see his rushing share increase by default if things stand the way they are, McCaffrey should inherit an augmented workload and role in this offense.

We already know what McCaffrey brings to the table as a pass-game weapon, and he showed in college that he can handle a big workload.

The Panthers are committed to McCaffrey from a draft equity and cap perspective. After finishing as the PPR RB10 as a rookie, McCaffrey could approach 200 rushes and 100 targets in 2018. Volume is king at running back, and it looks like he'll see a ton of it.