State of the Panthers: Pre-training camp roster outlook in 2021
By Noah Bryce
Carolina Panthers CB
An interesting fact when looking at Donte Jackson’s performance at cornerback last season when put up against the No.1 players of Super Bowl champions is that they aren’t far apart.
What I mean by this is that Jackson either surpassed or sat just behind the statistical performance of names like Stephon Gilmore and Kendall Fuller. This is no small feat and with a competent running mate on the other side, those stats should only see improvement which is a scary thought.
Especially when you consider the astronomical potential of 2021 first-round pick Jaycee Horn. And while I have cautioned against overhyping incoming rookies in the past, he has the skills and athleticism to really make a go of it at the next level.
One can’t help but get a little excited when thinking of the absolute menace a tandem of Jackson and Horn can be. Former Pro Bowler A.J. Bouye was also signed in free agency, who’ll be rotating in and taking over the slot duties once he returns back from his two-game suspension to start the campaign.
If Horn can develop the way most expect him to, this group will be championship-caliber a lot sooner than most expected. And that is nothing but good news for the Carolina Panthers.