5 Panthers players who need more reps over the next 3 games
By Dean Jones
Which Carolina Panthers players need more reps over the next three games?
Things were going to be difficult for the Carolina Panthers this season. A losing record was predicted by many before competitive action got underway and these projections officially came to fruition following their disappointing home loss to the Denver Broncos at Bank of America Stadium.
This was a big job for Matt Rhule to take on. His reputation for building up struggling college programs made him the perfect candidate to take charge of the Carolina Panthers during this period of transition. But even though they do have some exciting young pieces to build around, much more will be needed if they want to become legitimate Super Bowl contenders in the coming years.
With little to play for between now and the end of the campaign, this could be a good opportunity for some other players to get additional reps in a bid to prove their worth to the franchise moving forward.
This notion was not exactly given the green light by Rhule during a recent presser. But here are five Panthers players who would be strong candidates for more playing time if the head coach eventually went down this route.
Player No. 1
Stantley Thomas-Oliver – Carolina Panthers CB
Stantley Thomas-Oliver is a player that could forge a successful career in the NFL. The seventh-round pick is still finding his feet at the next level, which is to be expected of a development project. But getting some additional reps over the remaining three games would be wise and a massive boost.
Thomas-Oliver is still acclimatizing to the cornerback position after transitioning from a wide receiver in college, something that brought great success and eventually resulted in the former Florida International standout hearing his name called late in the 2021 NFL Draft.
The rookie has shown some promise during his limited time on the field this season and it could eventually become a draft steal for the Panthers if Thomas-Oliver makes further strides this offseason.