5 new NFC South players the Panthers should worry about in 2021
By Dean Jones
Richie Grant – S
There wasn’t a bigger fan of Richie Grant during the draft evaluation process than Matt Rhule. The Carolina Panthers head coach spent a week working with the safety at the 2021 Senior Bowl and named the prospect as a player he’d like to coach at the next level if given the opportunity.
Sadly, this did not come to fruition. The Panthers traded down in the second round to acquire more selections, which meant Grant was out of their reach after he was taken by the Atlanta Falcons at No. 40 overall.
Grant could make an immediate impression for an Atlanta defense that was a real weak link in close games last season. The Central Florida product is physical, athletic, and has a real ability to be around the ball consistently anywhere in the secondary.
It’s not hard to see why Rhule was so complimentary of the way Grant goes about his business. Partnering him with Jeremy Chinn could have been a long-term solution at safety, but as it turned out, the Panthers didn’t address this obvious need at all during the draft.
As fortune would have it, Grant will now line up against his Senior Bowl coach twice a season for as long as he’s in Atlanta. And the Panthers should ignore him at their peril.