4 Chargers players the Panthers should watch out for in Week 3
By Dean Jones
Hunter Henry – TE
Hunter Henry has taken time to recover from a serious leg injury sustained in 2018. But the tight end has shown some real signs of life over the last fortnight.
He has returned to being a reliable catching presence across the middle and Henry has lined up plenty in the slot since the season began. The former Arkansas Razorback has collected 11 of 16 catchable balls thrown his way to record 156 receiving yards and an outstanding 79.2 grade from Pro Football Focus.
Another notable improvement that Henry has made to his overall contribution is from a blocking perspective. This is an area that has come in for some criticism throughout his career and the adjustments made by the second-round pick in 2016 has made are immediately paying off.
The Carolina Panthers have had some trouble coping with tight ends in coverage during the early portion of the campaign. They did manage to thwart the threat of Rob Gronkowski and O.J. Howard in Week 2. But neither player is up to the same sort of standard that Henry brings to the table.
Henry benefits from attention going elsewhere to the likes of Keenan Allen, Mike Williams, and Austin Ekeler. This gives the player plenty of space to work across the middle and if he can get onto Tahir Whitehead consistently, this will be a problem for the Panthers.