Panthers: Rashaan Gaulden ready to make noise
The Carolina Panthers may have a special player in Gaulden…
As the sun beats down on Spartanburg, the Carolina Panthers rookies continue to work hard. Sunday, Stephen Igoe of 247Sports wrote a report noting the highlights from Day Four of Carolina Panthers training camp. As he noted, Donte Jackson and Rashaan Gaulden received reps with the first-team group.
"Sunday marked another day of the two rookie defensive backs getting some time with the first-team. Jackson is currently working with the 1s opposite of incumbent starter James Bradberry, while Gaulden got some No. 1 reps next to veteran safety Mike Adams. While it’s not a surprise to see Jackson working here, it’s a bit of one to see Gaulden getting so much action with the first unit."
We have talked at length about Jackson and how he has the potential to be a starter. We have not heard much about Gaulden. Perhaps it is a name that Carolina Panthers fans should become more familiar with.
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It is not as if he cannot play. Gaulden recorded 130 tackles in his final two seasons of collegiate ball. The defensive back’s best season came in 2016. That year, he recorded 67 tackles, a sack and four pass deflections. If anything, the Tennessee product fits right into the new-look Carolina Panthers defense as he plays aggressively and has a nose for the football.
Currently, Gaulden is ranked the No. 3 left cornerback behind Captain Munnerlyn and James Bradberry per the most recent depth chart from OurLads.com.
When the Carolina Panthers drafted both Jackson and Gaulden, there was an immediate consensus that they could step in and play right away. Much like Jackson, Gaulden has the talent to do that as well. Coming from the SEC, that gives him an advantage over the rest of the pack. Playing in a conference with so much NFL-ready talent, it is a nice preview of what professional play is going to be like.
Preseason camp is especially crucial for guys like Gaulden. It truly is “every man for himself” during training camp and evidently he is making a name for himself. It will be fun to watch him during the preseason and if he keeps trending upward, he may see playing time sooner than we think. At the very least, he is making a good impression on the organization.
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This is looking like another smart pick on the part of Marty Hurney, solidifying what was a very productive offseason. Time will tell if it can mesh together.