What the Panthers depth chart on defense looks like after drafting 7 defensive players
Following the conclusion of the 2020 NFL draft, Panthers head coach Matt Rhule said he joked with the offensive staff about having so little to do over the past three days.
“I kept teasing (offensive coordinator) Joe Brady and those guys like, ‘Are we even paying you guys for today? Are you guys even doing anything,’” Rhule said.
With seven selections, the Panthers took seven defensive players, filling in the many holes that existed in Phil Snow’s defense following an offensive-focused free agency period. Where do those new players fit? How does the Panthers’ defensive roster look now? Here’s a glimpse of what Carolina’s depth chart looks like after the draft:
Derrick Brown highlights new-look defensive line
LDE: Stephen Weatherly, Yetur Gross-Matos, Efe Obada, Chris Smith
DT: Kawann Short, Derrick Brown, Woodrow Hamilton, Bravvion Roy, Zach Kerr
RDE: Brian Burns, Marquis Haynes, Christian Miller, Smith
The Panthers addressed the holes on the defense line immediately taking Brown and Gross-Matos with their first two picks. Brown is an immediate starter alongside Short and will make a big impact in the run defense, while also having the ability to rush the passer. He can play nose, 3-technique or 5-technique.
Weatherly is penciled in as the starter for now, but Gross-Matos will at minimum be part of the team’s rotation on the edge. Rhule said among the things he liked about the 6-foot-5, 266-pound Penn State defender was his high-sack production. Getting pressure against the top-notch quarterbacks in the NFC South is important. The Panthers would like to see him get a little bigger.
“He’s a guy that can get on the edge, he can turn the corner, he’s got great body balance and he’s also gone inside and been a 3,” Rhule said.
Roy will have a big presence in the middle of the Panthers’ defensive line (he’s 6-foot-1, 332 pounds). Among his strengths are how quick and light on his feet he his for his size. He might serve as the nose tackle and will likely be a backup as part of the team’s interior line rotation.
Panthers didn’t take a linebacker in the draft
OLB: Shaq Thompson, Jermaine Carter, Jordan Kunaszyk
MLB: Tahir Whitehead, Andre Smith
The Panthers did not address linebacker in the draft, but they have added five as undrafted free agents — Jason Ferris - Montana Western, Sam Franklin Jr. - Temple, Chris Orr - Wisconsin, Jordan Mack - Virginia and David Reese - Florida. Odds are high that at least one will make the roster.
Troy Pride Jr. could be called on early
CB: Donte Jackson, Troy Pride Jr., Corn Elder, Dominique Hatfield, Cole Luke, Stan Thomas-Oliver
The Panthers ended the draft with four new defensive backs, which is quite the haul for an area that was in need of much help.
Pride Jr. will contend for the starting job opposite Jackson. Carolina needed someone to replace James Bradberry, and Pride filled a hole at cornerback in the fourth round. The former Notre Dame cornerback has a good combination of size and speed. Also a track athlete with the Irish, he ran a 4.4-second 40-yard dash at the combine, but said that was an off day.
“Nine out of 10 days I would’ve run a 4.3,” Pride Jr. said. “It was just the one day that I went 4.40, and that happens. My fastest time recorded at Notre Dame was a 4.28.”
Thomas-Oliver’s best chance of making the roster will come as a special teams player. He was a wide receiver in college until being converted to corner after his sophomore season when a coach saw him “playing around” at practice one day. He’s got the speed, athleticism and willingness to help the Panthers out in that area.
“I just want to find a role. That’s pretty much what I want to do. Find a role and grow into it,” Thomas-Oliver said. “I know the first thing I would like to do is impact special teams. That would be the first thing I’m headed (to do is) just to make sure I put in special-teams work.”
The Panthers would only benefit by adding a veteran defensive back to the roster. Ross Cockrell remains a free agent.
Jeremy Chinn could become a starter at safety
FS: Boston, TJ Green, Kenny Robinson
SS: Burris, Jeremy Chinn
The first player ever selected by the Panthers out of Southern Illinois, Chinn has an opportunity to compete with Burris for the starting job. He is a safety by trade, and that’s where Carolina will have him learn primarily, but he can play all over the field. Despite being a small-school product, the Panthers saw enough from him at the Senior Bowl to believe he can get the job done in the NFL and he’ll be highly useful for Snow. Even if the rookie doesn’t outright win the starting job, the Panthers will find creative ways to use him in 2020.
Robinson gained professional experience in the XFL, but how he’ll look in the NFL is a bit of a question mark. A player with an interesting background that has already experienced so much, including getting kicked out of West Virginia for academic fraud, the Panthers felt he was worth taking a chance on in the fifth round. He has good ball skills, but is an inconsistent tackler and will fill a backup role and play on special-teams.
Offensive depth chart
QB: Teddy Bridgewater, P.J. Walker, Will Grier
RB: Christian McCaffrey, Reggie Bonnafon, Mike Davis, Scarlett
WR: DJ Moore, Anderson, Curtis Samuel, Kirkwood
TE: Ian Thomas, Chris Manhertz, Seth DeValve
LT: Okung, Little
LG: Dennis Daley, Tyler Larsen
C: Matt Paradis, Larsen, Chris Reed
RG: Miller, Larsen
RT: Taylor Moton
This story was originally published April 27, 2020 at 1:57 PM.
