5 Carolina Panthers players who’ll exceed expectations at training camp

Keith Taylor Jr. – Carolina Panthers CB

All the talk has been about No. 8 overall selection Jaycee Horn, and with good reason. The cornerback could transform the Carolina Panthers’ secondary with a smooth transition, which could be all Phil Snow’s unit needs to become a dominant force.

However, there is another recent arrival to the cornerback room that could make a notable impression in 2021.

Keith Taylor Jr. was a high-value pick by the Panthers, who scooped him up in the fifth round. The player came on leaps and bounds at Washington and has the physical frame to get even better. But putting too much on his shoulders right away might be detrimental to his progression.

One area where Taylor already thrives is in press coverage, where Carolina got almost no consistency from last season.

He is physical at the point of attack and has enough strength to get receivers off their spot. Although this will get more difficult in the NFL.

If Taylor can improve his route anticipation and ability to recover, then there is a big possibility the rookie can become an important part of the rotation.

This might be a lot to ask of a Day 3 pick, but Taylor has more about him than most drafted in this area and the Panthers got to see for themselves just what characteristics the corner brings to the table during their time coaching at the 2021 Senior Bowl.