4 pros and cons to the Carolina Panthers young defense in 2021
By Noah Bryce
The Carolina Panthers are going into the 2021 season with the second-youngest roster by average age in the NFL. But just how might this youth movement affect their on-field performance?
A team on the rise is what the Carolina Panthers hope to have going into the 2021 season and there are plenty of reasons to believe that is the case. Even with the mixed bag that was 2020 the team showed promise in many areas, especially on defense.
The young Panthers overperformed in a lot of ways during Matt Rhule’s first season as head coach, even if their dismal 5-11 record doesn’t really reflect that.
Only four of the team’s losses during the 2020 campaign were out of reach – characterized by a final score with a margin greater than eight points – and don’t forget the overquoted but all-important stat of 0-8 in games with the chance to tie or lead on the final drive.
There is also the fact that two of those losses came to the eventual Superbowl champions as well.
While most of the issues and disappointments of last season have been thrust onto the shoulders of newly minted Denver Bronco Teddy Bridgewater, whether justifiably or not, there is still plenty for the team as a whole to improve on. Some of those issues simply coming down to experience and time, a luxury most teams don’t want to give.
With that being said, however, this item has a lot to get hyped about if the young core on defense can continue to improve and reach their sky-high potential.
Carolina Panthers have some high-impact players on defense.
One doesn’t need to look farther than Brian Burns being No. 9 in quarterback pressures and No. 14 in sacks during the season at only 22 years old on top of the addition of late-year stud Hasson Reddick to see that.
All of this without mention of Jeremy Chinn’s borderline Defensive Rookie of the Year performance while playing out of position and rising star Derrick Brown locking down the interior.
But with all of that good, there is one thing all of these players have in common, youth. So let’s take a look at how the Carolina Panthers’ lack of experience and age will affect them in the 2021 season.