4 training camp battles to watch after Panthers draft picks

Which training camp battles should be worth keeping a close eye on following the draft picks acquired by the Carolina Panthers in 2021?

Now that the 2021 NFL Draft is in the books, attention is quickly turning to the preparation period ahead of the new season. Rookie minicamp, OTAs, and training camp will come around very quickly now that most personnel decisions have been made and there will be some intriguing elements to monitor where the Carolina Panthers are concerned.

The Panthers managed to bring in 11 new college recruits after some moving up and down the draft board over a busy three days for the organization. This was further bolstered with five undrafted free-agents coming into the fold, which should provide some extra competition for places before the final 53-man roster is decided later this year.

There is a long way to go before then and there might be more in the way of veteran arrivals to sure up obvious problem areas. However, the Panthers are still in pretty good shape even if they don’t bring any more bodies on board ahead of what is going to be a can’t miss camp for the franchise.

Here are four matchups that will be worth keeping a close eye on when Carolina makes a welcome return to team drills in the coming weeks.

Carolina Panthers offseason matchups to watch.

Matchup No. 1

Terrace Marshall Jr. vs A.J. Bouye

The Panthers made a surprising move by drafting Terrace Marshall Jr. at No. 59 overall when there wasn’t a real need at the wide receiver position. However, when a first-round talent falls this far, it was an opportunity they obviously couldn’t pass up.

Marshall will look to make a name for himself from the word go at the next level and will already be familiar with what’s expected in Joe Brady’s scheme having worked with the offensive coordinator before at LSU. Putting the wideout up against the most experienced cornerback on the roster in A.J. Bouye during camp should aid his transition significantly and might even give Carolina a better indication of what they can expect from the rookie in Year 1.

Bouye might have had a down season with the Denver Broncos in 2020. But it wasn’t that long ago he was playing at a Pro Bowl level and he’ll give Marshall all he can handle if they line up against one another, which would be mutually beneficial.