Carolina Panthers: Predicting team leaders in statistics for 2019

Interceptions

This is another category that should be pretty straightforward. After a tremendous rookie season, Donte Jackson should be able to hold down the secondary for another year. He brought that swagger and energy that had been missing from that positional group for years. Not only that, he was able to back up his play, and the Carolina Panthers defense seemed different whatever he was not on the field. That’s a sign that you have a great player on your hands.

Jackson had four interceptions last year, putting him first among all rookies in that category. He truly showed an eye for the ball, and we got exactly what was advertised. He played aggressively, and he made it clear that he could succeed in today’s NFL. That ball-hawking type of mentality is almost a throwback to cornerbacks of the past. It was great to see him succeed, and I have a feeling he will only continue to get better. He should be relied upon heavily in the secondary next season as players such as Mike Adams and Captain  Munnerlyn are no longer going to be with the team.

I would expect to see at least five interceptions out of Jackson. He has that type of athleticism to do so. Especially in what is becoming a passing league, he should see his fair share of targets. On the flipside, maybe quarterbacks will avoid throwing to him. That would also be ideal for the Carolina defense as that takes away one side of the field  they have to worry about. It will be interesting to see how this situation plays out.