5 Panthers players who quietly had great seasons in 2020
By Dean Jones
Zach Kerr – Carolina Panthers DT
Things looked uncertain at one stage for the Carolina Panthers when Kawann Short went to the reserve/injured list with a should problem that required season-ending surgery. However, the level of contribution Zach Kerr has made throughout the 2020 campaign has ensured there hasn’t been the slightest drop-off in production.
Kerr was one of Carolina’s free-agent acquisitions this offseason and was seen more as a rotational piece to give the starting duo a breather now and then. This is a role he seemed settled in but once the lineman was given more responsibility, it resulted in the player taking his game to new heights.
This was one of the more timely impact players this season. Kerr’s flashes of brilliance were matched with an improved level of consistency and once Derrick Brown officially found his feet, the duo became a substantial problem for almost every team they came up against.
The former Delaware prospect eventually finished the campaign with two sacks, 32 tackles, two tackles for loss, nine quarterback hits, one forced fumble, two passes defended, and eight pressures from 37 percent of the Panthers’ defensive snaps.
These stats might look even better had it not been for a trip to the reserve/COVID-19 list thanks to a player gathering which broke protocol during the bye week, but it’s hard not to look at his 2020 season and not be impressed.