Carolina Panthers: Myles Hartsfield’s confidence boost at camp

Has undrafted free-agent cornerback Myles Hartsfield already received a vote of confidence in his bid to earn a roster spot with the Carolina Panthers?

The Carolina Panthers are now only 38 days away from getting back down to business. Their week one opener against the Las Vegas Raiders has been a long time coming. And this offseason has seemed like an age given the incredible amount of changes across the organization.

The time for talk is almost over. And this will no doubt come as a relief for new Carolina Panthers head coach Matt Rhule. He has endured a baptism of fire in no uncertain terms during his first few months at the helm. So the former Baylor man will be keen to resume football activities and put everything else to one side.

Just how the Panthers are going to get on in the face of some stern competition is up for debate. Carolina’s inexperienced roster won’t get the chance to develop chemistry thanks to no preseason games in the current climate. And most will be learning as they go in prominent starting roles.

This is no more evident than on defense. Veteran players who were arguably passed their prime decided to take their chances elsewhere. And Carolina seemed more than willing to let them go for the greater good.

Continuing our countdown series ahead of the new season, we now turn our attention to Carolina’s No. 38. Myles Hartsfield was brought in as an undrafted free agent after failing to hear his name called this spring. And the fact he has survived the early round of cuts suggests the coaching staff sees a great deal of potential regarding his long-term prospects.

Hartsfield does have his work cut out making the 53-man roster. But he enters the NFL with four years of solid college production to call upon with Ole Miss.

More will undoubtedly be needed at the next level. And it will be up the cornerback to prove those that doubted his credentials in a professional environment wrong in the coming weeks.

Myles Hartsfield brings a “swiss army knife” mentality to the Carolina Panthers

The incoming recruit has some nice skills to call upon. And Hartsfield arrives in the NFL having recorded 167 combined tackles, 122 solo tackles, eight tackles for loss, three interceptions, and 15 pass deflections during his time with the Rebels.

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He was labeled the “swiss army knife” of Ole Miss’ defense. And this sort of versatility is something that has been a popular feature for the Panthers in their recruitment process this offseason.

Getting a chance in the pros is one thing. But gaining a roster spot is another matter entirely.

Hartsfield has been given a slight vote of confidence by Carolina’s coaching staff in the sense of keeping him around during their trim down to 80 players. And with practice squad sizes set to increase in 2020, this might be another option worth considering.

Rhule will know plenty about Hartsfield having come from the college system himself this year. And the cornerback room in Carolina is an area that looks relatively devoid of any real quality outside of the cemented starting trio of Donte Jackson, Eli Apple, and Troy Pride Jr.

This means the remaining places on the depth chart are very much up for grabs. And how Hartsfield applies himself during team drills will ultimately determine whether the Panthers keep him around in some capacity.