Carolina Panthers No. 83: Damion Jeanpiere Jr. has his work cut out

Damion Jeanpiere Jr. has his work cut out to emerge from the practice squad and earn a place on the 53-man roster of the Carolina Panthers in 2020.

We are just 83 days away from the Carolina Panthers finally returning to competitive action. It will be a welcome relief for the roster and coaching staff alike to get back down to business after an unprecedented offseason that has come with widespread changes.

Whether this can come with an immediate turnaround in fortunes with the Carolina Panthers is another matter entirely. New head coach Matt Rhule has a good track record of building around struggling programs in college. But this did not come with a winning record during his first season at the helm.

Something similar might occur in Carolina. But there is some hope that the team can surprise despite the difficulty of their schedule. The offense looks loaded with talent, and the Panthers’ defense does boast some potential although they lack in any real experience.

Continuing our countdown to the 2020 season, we now turn our attention to Carolina’s No. 83. Damion Jeanpiere Jr. comes to the organization as a relatively unknown quantity who spent time with the organization in 2019.

The wide receiver was part of the Panthers’ practice squad last time out. And this gave him some much-needed experience on just what it takes to be a professional in the NFL. Jeanpiere Jr. will have benefitted tremendously from being part of the set-up. So a big step forward in 2020 is not entirely out of the question.

Jeanpiere Jr. signed a one-year, $610,000 contract to stick around and possibly make the 53-man roster. This does appear to be a long shot given the prominent receiving weapons already with the organization. So it is clear that he has his work cut out in the coming weeks.

The player went undrafted with only one notable season of college production at Nicholls. Jeanpiere Jr. secured 44 receptions for 850 yards and three touchdowns in 2019. And another standout statistic was his 19.3 yards-per-catch average.

Damion Jeanpiere Jr.’s chances with the Carolina Panthers in 2020

One thing that Damion Jeanpiere Jr. does have going for him is a superb turn of foot. He is lightning fast and is a prominent deep threat. But there is not much to go off when it comes to production in the NFL.

One could make a case for all 12 wide receivers currently with the Carolina Panthers actually making their final roster. Jeanpiere Jr. looks to be on the bottom end of the depth chart. But we have seen unknown players rise to prominence if they show enough during training camp.

An expected shortened preseason is only going to make things more difficult for players like Jeanpiere Jr. If the schedule is reduced to just two games, then chances to impress on the big stage will be at a premium for those on the fringes.

Jeanpiere Jr. might end up being part of the practice squad once again in 2020. And that might end up being a good thing. It is clear that the wideout is still learning his craft at 23-years-old. But he won’t have time on his side for much longer.