Panthers’ Smith-Wade feels like a ‘10-year vet’ at important position on defense
A year of experience in the NFL can make a world of difference. Just ask Carolina Panthers nickel cornerback Chau Smith-Wade.
Last summer, Smith-Wade was a rookie fifth-round pick squarely on the roster bubble. This summer, he’s making plays daily in coverage, and he’s positioned to be a prominent defender in the Panthers’ reworked secondary.
His teammates are expecting a lot from him. And his coaches are seeing him make notable strides on the field and in the classroom.
“He’s really just kind of bought into what we’re doing,” head coach Dave Canales said Wednesday. “He’s becoming a person that we are counting on to communicate. Particularly, if you’re playing the nickel spot, there’s a lot that goes into your connection with the run fits, your connection with the safeties in coverage and leverage and those things.
“He’s doing a great job, and he’s even playing outside some for us. So, really fired up about Chau, and he kind of came to us that way, with that kind of pro mentality, with the way he takes care of his body. I can’t see right now (after practice) over the fence, but I guarantee he’s out there working on something. He’s a guy who is really about the details of his work.”
A stellar offseason program performance has carried over into the early days of training camp. Smith-Wade is being moved around the field, and he’s making the most of his matchups against veterans like Adam Thielen and David Moore.
“To leave an impression you’ve got to be able to go out there and put in the work and show an impression that’s meant to be made, you know what I’m saying?” Smith-Wade said. “I feel like I went out there and only showed action (during the offseason program). I didn’t talk about it. I just went out there and did it and that’s ultimately how I left that impression.”
Smith-Wade learned the nickel position last year after spending his entire college career at outside cornerback. With Jaycee Horn and Mike Jackson handling the outside duties in Carolina, the Panthers let Smith-Wade learn behind the scenes until he earned an increased role.
In the Week 13 game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last year, Smith-Wade made an impressive interception near the Panthers’ sideline at Bank of America Stadium. His teammates celebrated with glee as he ran to the end zone to make the most of his highlight play.
Smith-Wade says that was the game where the nickel position began to click for him.
The following week’s loss to the Philadelphia Eagles further cemented his comfort in the defense, as he saw the entire field from the eyes of the nickel position.
“I was feeling smooth out there,” Smith-Wade said about the loss to the Eagles. “My footwork, I felt more patient. I was way more comfortable and ... I knew nickel was one of the hardest positions in this defense, so being able to go out there and play nickel, just makes all the other positions even easier.”
The Panthers’ cornerback depth chart is lacking in experience behind Horn and Jackson.
While that duo is expected to be a reliable pair on the outside, Smith-Wade, in just his second season, is gaining trust in the slot. He’s breaking up passes, communicating well and working hard in the film room.
And while he’s only 22, Smith-Wade is starting to settle into a position he’s played for roughly 16 months.
“I feel like a 10-year vet at that nickel spot,” Smith-Wade said. “Although there are things that I still continue to learn, I feel really comfortable at that nickel spot. I feel like I can go out there and give everybody their keys and feel comfortable still playing mine.”
Horn and Jackson, the elder statesmen of the cornerback room, have helped Smith-Wade find his footing as a communicator.
Horn, who made the Pro Bowl last year, has plenty of experience at the nickel position, while Jackson knows full well what it’s like to have to earn your keep in the NFL as journeyman. Both are able to impart wisdom to the ascending defensive back.
“They just put keys in my head that make me look at the game completely different,” Smith-Wade said about Horn and Jackson. “Things that only a 3-year-(and)-up guy would know.”
Smith-Wade, now in a position to give advice, is also helping the team’s younger DBs behind the scenes. The team signed Corey Thornton, Mike Reid and JaTravis Broughton as undrafted free agents this spring. And Smith-Wade has become a good resource for those rookies as they look to climb the ladder the way he did last season.
Smith-Wade isn’t afraid to share what he’s learned with them.
“It’s really a push-pull-type thing,” Smith-Wade said. “Help me help you, and if you help me, then I know that I can help you. So, if I ask them for help and they’re coming to me for help, we’re kind of just giving each other those gems.”
