4 Panthers players who exceeded expectations against the Raiders
By Dean Jones
Jeremy Chinn – Carolina Panthers OLB
There was a quiet expectation that Jeremy Chinn could make his presence felt with the Carolina Panthers during his rookie campaign. Judging by what we saw from the second-round pick against the Raiders, the do-it-all defender’s future is incredibly bright.
Chinn seemed to be everywhere on the field and was around the ball prominently. The Panthers’ second level went through their fair share of struggles on Sunday. But the former Southern Illinois standout was the one bright spot.
His outstanding contribution during training camp earned Chinn a starting berth at outside linebacker opposite Shaq Thompson. The player demonstrated fantastic vision in running downs to get to the point of attack quickly. And although he did miss some tackles on stud running back Josh Jacobs, he wasn’t the only one.
Chinn’s high-level of performance was not reflected in his Pro Football Focus grade, which was allocated at 46.5. This is something of slight given the impression he made during his first-ever involvement at the next level and this should enable him to add further motivation to his cause in the coming weeks.
It is clear that Chinn is going to be a vital cog in Carolina’s defense going forward. His athleticism is extraordinary and the scary thing is he is going to get even better with more experience under his belt.