4 Carolina Panthers players who must rebound in 2021
By Dean Jones
Greg Little – Carolina Panthers OT
The 2021 season will undoubtedly be the last chance saloon for Greg Little. Much like Shaq Thompson, there was a real opportunity for the former second-round pick to step up and make a name for himself with so many injury problems surrounding left tackle Russell Okung. But in the end, it was another disappointing campaign for a player who is fast becoming one of the biggest draft busts in franchise history.
The Carolina Panthers moved up in the second round to select Little in 2019, which was a grave lack of judgment from Marty Hurney and one that probably factored into his firing as general manager for a second time before the 2020 season came to a conclusion.
For whatever reason, Little has struggled to meet the lofty expectations many had of him when he came out of Mississippi. The new coaching staff seems to have already made their mind up about his ability to protect efficiently considering he was only on the field for 13 percent of Carolina’s offensive snaps.
To say Little faces an uphill battle to turn things around would be something of an understatement. The Panthers are sure to strengthen their options in free agency or the 2021 NFL Draft, which is a deep class for offensive linemen. So unless he shows improvement quickly, then his place on the roster will be in serious doubt.