Panthers defense: 4 players under pressure to perform in 2020
By Dean Jones
The Carolina Panthers defense has gone through a significant overhaul this offseason, but which players are under the most pressure to perform?
It has been an offseason of considerable change on the Carolina Panthers defense. They parted ways with a host of veteran players and it remains to be seen whether this will benefit the organization in the short-term.
The likes of Mario Addison, Gerald McCoy, Dontari Poe, and Vernon Butler are no longer with the franchise. The Panthers’ defense also lost a prominent figure in the form of Luke Kuechly following his shock retirement. This has left a young core surrounded by a couple of experienced players who are expected to ease them through this period of transition.
Things might not be easy for the Panthers defense in 2020. But if they can grow together as a unit and demonstrate encouraging signs in the face of stern competition, this is probably all defensive coordinator Phil Snow will be looking for during the first stages of the rebuild in Carolina.
Their fortunes will be boosted by the addition of seven new defensive players thanks to the Panthers’ historic draft. How well the latest batch of college recruits integrate themselves during a shortened offseason will go a long way to determining their overall fortunes.
Expectations are pretty low regarding the Panthers’ chances of making any sort of a challenge in 2020. And this is something that they can use to their advantage during a complicated time for all NFL teams due to the coronavirus pandemic.
However, there will still be members of the Panthers defense that will feel more pressure than most to provide a telling contribution throughout the campaign. Here are four players that face some serious scrutiny in 2020.