Carolina Panthers: Where does Gross-Matos fit on depth chart?

The Carolina Panthers added another pass-rusher to their ranks with Yetur Gross-Moss, but where does the Penn State product fit on the depth chart?

Yetur Gross-Matos’ potential is there for all to see. He has a real chance to be elite if providing the newest Carolina Panther reaches his enormous promise.

With his selection in the second round, the Panthers now have a formidable defensive front that is going to be the foundation for any success that comes their way both in 2020 and the years to come. Besides veteran Kawann Short, the group is young, explosive and has the scope to get better over time.

The player has suffered his fair share of tragedy throughout his life, with his father and brother dying when Gross-Matos was only young. This has been a tremendous source of inspiration for him and could lead to the prospect becoming an NFL stud over time.

Given the quality depth that Carolina now has on the defensive line, Gross-Matos will be given the chance to develop his craft without the added pressure of making an instant contribution. The Panthers paid $8 million guaranteed to get Stephen Weatherly from the Minnesota Vikings and it would be a big surprise if the second-round pick ended up taking his place in the starting lineup from day one.

Weatherly deserves a shot at being an NFL starter after excelling in a rotational role in Minnesota. With Gross-Matos providing the franchise with the extra competition, it could be just the spark the free-agent signing needs to take his game to another level with more time on the field.

Brian Burns recorded 7.5 sacks as a rookie following his first-round selection in 2019. He is now cemented into a starting role and could take a giant leap forward with the move back to a 4-3 base.

This leaves Gross-Matos in the position of a rotational edge rusher, which will hopefully get the most out of him early on as he finds out what it takes to be a dominant defensive lineman at the next level.

He could also fill in at the outside linebacker spot if required. Gross-Matos is an accomplished performer in this position, and it is another option for the Panthers to call upon.

It is clear that Gross-Matos is going to be a versatile member of the Panthers’ defense. He is a coaches’ dream and one that coordinator Phil Snow can put in various positions during the early stages of his development.