Takeaways from Day 2 of Panthers rookie minicamp: Rookie QB battles Carolina defense
Panthers quarterback Matt Corral began Day 2 of rookie minicamp by delivering a strike.
After warmups, offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo shouted for his first-team rookie offense to huddle up. Before calling the play for Corral to repeat, McAdoo reminded the collection of six rookies and eight tryout offensive players that there was too much walking going on just 15 minutes into practice.
Once again, the McAdoo effect was on full display Saturday.
Corral responded with a technically sound three-step drop and play-action pass, hitting undrafted free agent receiver Ra’Shaun Henry in stride 30 yards downfield for a would-be touchdown. Corral made a perfect throw matched with sound execution from his teammates.
He looked great against no defense.
His early touchdown occurred during an on-air session as the Panthers followed an identical practice script from Friday’s first day rookie minicamp, which featured position drills, on-air scheme installs and seven-on-seven team sessions.
Defense shows up
Corral and the offense had an up-and-down performance during competitive sessions Saturday.
Usually, defenses stay ahead of offenses early in the offseason installation process. But it also helps that Carolina added several high-level athletes through the draft and undrafted free agency.
“When you’re looking for young players, especially players later in the draft, you are looking for traits,” Rhule said after practice. “It’s one thing to be fast. It’s another thing to be fast with great length — arm size, hand size, you know, height, weight. If they have that and they show proclivity to be physical and attack the ball, then you feel like there’s a place for this guy.”
Carolina spent its first two draft picks (No. 6 and No. 94) on offensive players Ikem Ekwonu and Corral. General manager Scott Fitterer spent three of the team’s next four selections on defense.
Smith drawn attention
The Panthers picked linebacker Brandon Smith in Round 4 with hopes he’ll develop into a movable piece across defensive coordinator Phil Snow’s exotic defense. Like Corral, Smith has a lot to learn. Rhule called linebacker the hardest defensive position to hone.
“I’ll lean on guys like (Shaq Thompson),” Smith said. “They’ve been in the system for a while. This is like truly my first couple of days within the system. You got to swallow your pride. These guys have been making millions of dollars playing on their second and third contracts. I don’t know much of anything. I’m still trying to get my feet wet. So I’ll be like a sponge and soak up whatever information they give.”
Smith has the physical gifts (6 foot 4, 240 pounds) and pedigree coming from Penn State to develop into a reliable three-down defender. The team is trying him at weakside linebacker before expanding his role.
To play linebacker in Snow’s system, Smith said it takes an unselfish mindset and team-first mentality.
“You got to be able to run like a defensive back and be able to flip your hips and bang receivers and run with them, as well as being a hard-nosed person and get in there like a defensive tackle,” Smith said. “You have to be able to be put out in the space and be comfortable out there as well as coming into the box and knowing that you’re going to have a safety coming down beside you and the odds of linemen working up to you.”
Smith can do all those things at times. He shows exciting bursts and can scrape through would-be blockers. Consistency will determine when he starts to see real playing time.
Comparing rookies
Rhule compared Smith and sixth-round pick (No. 189) Amare Barno. If things work out for the Virginia Tech edge rusher, he’ll develop into a third-down pass rusher capable of making game-changing plays. Barno said he models his game after Bills linebacker and two-time Super Bowl champion Von Miller.
He is a quiet young man, focused on making the Panthers roster.
“It kind of feels the same. It’s just like the terminology is different,” Barno said of transitioning to the NFL. “But as far as like lining up that, it’s similar. I feel like I can just keep learning the position.”
Barno impressed scouts in March at the combine by running the 40-yard dash in 4.36 seconds, the fastest time by a defensive lineman since 2003. He led the ACC in tackles for loss with 16 in 2020 and also recorded 43 tackles and 6.5 sacks.
Carolina is still searching for a Haason Reddick replacement. The former Panther signed a three-year, $45 million deal with the Eagles after leading Carolina in sacks (11) and quarterback hits (18) last season. Replacing Reddick will land on several Panthers defenders, including linebacker Frankie Luvu and Marquis Haynes. Rhule is hopeful Barno can become a viable pass-rushing option for them, too.
“We took him with the thought of like that Sam linebacker, slash pass-rusher role that Haason played last year,” Rhule said. “Really a lot of game comes down to third down. It comes down to rushing passers. So I think with Amari we saw flexibility, but we also saw the ability to rush the passer and develop into someone who can rush the passer.”
Behind Smith and Barno on the first-team rookie defense sits seventh-round cornerback Kalon Barnes. He’s a football player with elite track speed who ran an NFL Combine-best 4.23 40-yard dash. His mark was the fastest time for a defensive player and the second-fastest time ever in the drill behind only former Bengals receiver John Ross’s 4.22.
Smith described Barnes’ speed as gliding rather than running. Such speed makes him valuable at outside cornerback where Carolina is training him. Speed aside, Barnes has a lot going for him. He played at Baylor under Rhule and is comfortable in Snow’s system.
Secondary depth
Barnes’ largest roadblock to making the Panthers’ 53-man roster will be the talented players above him on the depth chart.
Last year’s first-round pick Jaycee Horn is back from a broken foot. Four-year starter and 2018 second-round pick Donte Jackson re-signed. Carolina traded for 2020 first-rounder C.J Henderson last year. The team also likes Myles Hartsfield as an early-down nickel corner. Keith Taylor, a 2021 fifth-rounder, appeared in all 17 games last year and started three.
“We’re really deep in the secondary,” Rhule said. “There’s gonna be a lot of great battles there. He’s gonna have to utilize his speed and physicality on special teams.”
Rookie minicamp ends Sunday. Phase two of the offseason workout program begins Monday when veterans and rookies come together for the first time.
Smith, Barnes, Barno and other rookie defenders will spend the rest of the summer catching up to the veterans already familiar with the ever-evolving Carolina defense.
This story was originally published May 14, 2022 at 5:26 PM.
