What can the Carolina Panthers expect from Phil Hoskins in 2021?

What can the Carolina Panthers expect from their seventh-round pick Phil Hoskins during his rookie campaign in 2021?

It was not a dull NFL Draft weekend in 2021 for anybody associated with the Carolina Panthers. General manager Scott Fitterer wasted no time in completely changing the mindset of the organization throughout the process, something that came with an unprecedented amount of trades, 11 selections, and even a fourth-rounder in 2022 from the Houston Texans to boot.

Whether these college prospects can make a significant difference right from the outset is up for debate. Expectations will be higher for some than others, although there might be those drafted later that end up making surprising contributions during their rookie campaigns.

Carolina rounded off what looks to be a hugely successful draft by taking defensive tackle Phil Hoskins at No. 232 overall.

The former Kentucky star was seen as a high-value selection at this juncture and although he is still a little rough around the edges, there is plenty to work with from a talent standpoint.

The guy who is known fondly as ‘Big Snacc’ is a hard guy to root against.

His infectious enthusiasm is matched by complete aggressiveness on the field, which came with plenty of memorable highlights during his time with the Wildcats.

Hoskins is a big body that clogs up space, which is something the Panthers were clearly looking for this offseason. The coaching staff now has DaQuan Jones, Daviyon Nixon, Mike Panasiuk, Bravvion Roy, or Hoskins to slot alongside Derrick Brown, who is a stud in the making after an outstanding first year in a professional environment.

Carolina Panthers should view Phil Hoskins as a work in progress.

There isn’t much to go off against strong competition where Hoskins is concerned. But he seems to have fitted in well during his early period of transition at rookie minicamp and voluntary OTAs.

This should serve the player well as he looks to force his way into the team’s plans. That is no mean feat considering the options available to the Panthers next season, but the team has high hopes that Hoskins could eventually develop into a key piece of the rotation.

One wouldn’t have to look far for the 6-foot-5 Hoskins, who is a mountain of a man that has surprising athleticism for someone his size.

He recorded 7.5 tackles for loss and four sacks in 31 games at Kentucky, with his production also coming with 28 tackles and even an interception.

Expecting miracles from Hoskins right away will be pushing it just a bit.

The Panthers got some decent production from last year’s seventh-rounder – Stantley Thomas-Oliver – over the second half of 2020 and if the interior lineman can do the same, this is going to give him a tremendous amount of confidence.

Having almost nothing in the way of pressure on his shoulders should also help Hoskins, who is going to become a fan favorite in no time at all.

All the Panthers need from Hoskins in the short term is to familiarize himself with the system, listen and learn from veterans and his coaches, make every rep count during the preseason and potentially make a difference during any time he sees on the field in a competitive setting.

Hoskins has all the physical attributes Carolina sought heavily during their recruitment process this spring. Although we might not see a lot of him in 2021, it wouldn’t be the biggest shock in the world to see him become involved in the coming years.