3 bold predictions for the Carolina Panthers at the Packers
Jeremy Chinn will sway more voters his way for DROY.
Sometimes as fans we have tunnel vision. There are supporters of every team that think certain players should win individual awards and Carolina Panthers fans certainly aren’t an exception.
Jeremy Chinn is more than just a fan favorite.
He deserves to be a Defensive Rookie of the Year finalist at the least. Some members of the national media have said as much. But now is the time to be honest with ourselves and recognize that Chinn has some serious competition for the award.
A recent Charlotte Observer survey showed that voters are leaning toward the No. 2 overall selection in the 2020 NFL Draft, Chase Young. But there’s still a lot of football left to play before anything is decided.
This shouldn’t be surprising.
Young has been a household name after an impressive college campaign at Ohio State where he was a Heisman Trophy finalist. As Washington’s defensive end, the rookie phenom has lived up to the hype with 35 tackles, 8 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks, three forced fumbles, three pass deflections, and a defensive touchdown.
Washington is also very much alive in the playoff hunt and team success goes a long way for most individual awards.
What’s impressive about Chinn is he was never supposed to be in the conversation. He’s a second-round pick from a college in the FCS conference who doesn’t play a singular position and is on a below-average defense.
Nonetheless, Chinn has impressed from the jump and has 95 tackles, two tackles for loss, five pass deflections, one interception, one sack, two forced fumbles, and two fumble recoveries returned for touchdowns.
If the rookie can make a few big plays in this primetime slot, it will be one more feather in his cap before facing Young and Washington head-to-head next week.