5 Panthers rookies worth watching at NFL training camp and the key roles they’ll play
NFL training camp has finally arrived.
Finally.
Panthers rookies are scheduled to arrive at Bank of America Stadium on Tuesday for the start of camp. Most veterans are not set to report until July 28.
Training camp will be more unique due to the restrictions related to COVID-19. For most newcomers, this will be the first time even seeing Carolina’s facility in person. Before entering the facility, players will need two negative COVID-19 tests separated by 72 hours. They will be tested daily for at least the first two weeks of camp and then if the percent positive rate drops to below 5 percent, testing would move to every other day. Test results are expected within 24 hours.
Once practice begins, the Panthers will lean on young players to contribute significantly this season, especially after selecting seven defensive players in the 2020 NFL draft. However, it will be harder than ever for some rookies, including the undrafted ones, to make the 53-man roster due to the incredibly limited offseason.
What’s to be expected from the team’s young draft class this season? Here’s a look at the top incoming rookies and some to keep an eye on.
Derrick Brown, DT
There will be high expectations for the seventh overall pick. Brown has had quite the first offseason, spending the past few months training and getting engaged to his longtime girlfriend, Tayla Main, who is pregnant with their second child. At 6-foot-4, 326 pounds, the unanimous All-American and SEC Defensive Player of the Year had 55 tackles, four sacks, four passes defensed and two forced fumbles in his senior year.
Role: Brown fills an immediate need for the Panthers after the team lost multiple starting defensive linemen this offseason, including tackles Gerald McCoy and Vernon Butler and defensive ends Mario Addison and Bruce Irvin. He’ll be a starter from the get-go.
“Everybody wants to say I’m a run-stuffer, you know, I do it all. Go back and watch my tape,” Brown said. “It’s just one of those things where I think I’m an all three-down player and I’m not my here to sit there and try to you know make everybody like me, but I’m here to do what I do.”
The Panthers will need Brown to help in many ways, but the run game needs a major improvement. Carolina finished last in yards per attempt (5.2) and rushing touchdowns allowed (31) in 2019.
Yetur Gross-Matos, DE
Gross-Matos is also going to play a big role in the Panthers revamping their defense up front with coordinator Phil Snow.
Carolina finished last season with the second-most sacks in the NFL (53), but last year’s sack leaders — Addison and Irvin — are no longer on the team. Gross-Matos will play a large part in the Panthers’ ability to generate pressure. He is tied for 10th all-time in Penn State history with 19 sacks. In his final college season, he had 40 tackles, 15 for loss and 9.5 sacks and was a consensus first-team All-Big Ten player.
Snow has mentioned how the Panthers want to see him add some weight, while maintaining his mobility.
Role: Gross-Matos has a great opportunity to be a starter or at least play a key role in the line’s rotation.
Jeremy Chinn, S
Chinn will take part in one of the many position battles the Panthers will have in this unique camp, but the team is anticipating using him in a variety of ways. He will be competing with Juston Burris, who is more experienced, for the strong safety position while veteran Tre Boston returns to play free safety. Chinn will most likely be used by the Panthers in more ways than one.
“A lot of people in the NFL call it a buffalo nickel. They see a big safety/nickel player that can go out there,” coach Matt Rhule said last month. “That nickel/nickel linebacker is really a starter … so that’s my mindset. With that being said, even when I was at the Giants, we played a three-safety package.”
Chinn dominated at Southern Illinois, totaling 243 career tackles, 13 interceptions, 31 passes defensed and six forced fumbles during his four-year college career.
He filled in at a variety of spots in college, including cornerback, nickel, and his primary position of safety. With the unique nature of COVID-19 and the reduced offseason training, his versatility will be even more valuable this year.
Role: Chinn will compete for a starting job, but either way he will see the field in a hybrid safety role and potentially on special teams.
Troy Pride Jr., CB
Known for his speed and athleticism, Pride was selected by the Panthers in the fourth round of the draft. He looked to be likely one of the team’s starting cornerbacks opposite Donte Jackson until Carolina addressed the position late in free agency, signing former Saints defender Eli Apple.
He finished his college career at Notre Dame with 121 tackles, four interceptions and 18 pass breakups as a senior. Pride also ran track in both high school and college and was a sprinter for the Fighting Irish.
Role: Pride Jr. will compete for the starting cornerback job.
Kenny Robinson, S
Robinson took a unique path to reach the Panthers. He has already spent time playing professional football with the St. Louis BattleHawks in the revamped XFL before the pandemic shut it down.
Prior to that, he played college football for two years at West Virginia, where he allowed fewer than 45 percent of passes in his coverage to be completed in 2017-18, according to Pro Football Focus. However, he was expelled from the school after he allowed a fellow student to do an assignment for him.
The abilities he showed in the XFL and his potential are what helped the Panthers make the decision to draft him in the fifth round.
“From Day 1, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out the guy that’s 6-foot-2, 205 pounds, that runs 4.5 and is aggressive and smart and tough to play in the NFL,” said BattleHawks defensive backs coach Tim Lewis of Robinson. Lewis was an NFL defensive coach for more than 20 years, including two with the Panthers. “Clearly, somebody that big, strong, fast, smart can play in the NFL if they want to.”
Role: Likely as a backup to start the season and a contributor on special teams.
Other rookies to keep an eye on:
Cam Sutton, TE: The Panthers need help at the tight end position after moving on from Greg Olsen this offseason. Sutton will have an opportunity to provide depth at the role.
Bravvion Roy, DT: Former Baylor player, Roy has a chance to make the roster as depth for the defensive line rotation.
Stantley Thomas-Oliver, DB: Transition from WR to CB in college, potential to be a contributor on special teams.
Omar Bayless, WR: One of the best statistical wide receivers in college football last year, the Arkansas State product has a chance to make the roster, especially on special teams. He has speed and he had a pair of blocked kicks last year (tied for second-most in the country).
Chris Orr, LB: Linebacker is one of the only defensive positions the Panthers did not address during the draft. Orr will be among the players with the opportunity to prove he deserves a shot at a position Carolina needs help at depth-wise.
This story was originally published July 20, 2020 at 3:18 PM.
