4 sneaky threats the Panthers should watch out for vs. the Lions
By Dean Jones
Quintez Cephus – WR
The Lions are also going to be without some key men in the passing game. D’Andre Swift’s presence catching out of the backfield will be sorely missed and with long-term absentee Kenny Golladay and Danny Amendola also missing out, others will need to step up and raise their game with more targets coming their way.
One such player who might benefit the most is Quintez Cephus. The rookie wide receiver has made an eye-catching start to life at the next level after being taken by Detroit in the fifth round of the 2020 NFL Draft. So the Carolina Panthers will need to keep him quiet to stand a chance of getting an elusive fourth victory of the campaign.
Cephus came into the league on the back of a standout spell at Wisconsin that eventually ended with 93 receptions, 1,496 receiving yards, and 13 touchdowns from 30 games. He was one of the NFL Scouting Combine’s stars and has clearly taken this confidence into a competitive environment in the pros.
The player will need to get his 52.9 percent completion success rate up in order to become a reliable starter. But Carolina has had some significant problems with their coverage schemes during the campaign, so it represents a good opportunity for Cephus to have a breakout game and really announce himself on the NFL stage.