Which Carolina Panthers players could get slapped with the dreaded draft bust label if things don’t improve during the 2021 season?
No team ever gets every single draft selection right. There are always some that end up becoming failures, but the Carolina Panthers deserve credit for getting most of their high-end selections right in recent years.
This hasn’t translated into any postseason success. The Panthers haven’t even had a winning record since 2017 and this has to change at the earliest opportunity to avoid even more murmurings of discontent from a fanbase that is growing weary of being an also-ran compared to others across the league.
For every Peyton Manning and Patrick Mahomes, there is a Ryan Leaf and a Mitchell Trubisky. That’s the way it goes sometimes, so the Panthers will be hoping their latest batch of college recruits – the first under new general manager Scott Fitterer – end up becoming cornerstones to future progress on and off the field.
However, here are five Panthers players who could be slapped with the dreaded bust level if they don’t come up with the goods in 2021.
Player No. 1
Pat Elflein – Carolina Panthers OL
- 3rd round pick – 2017
This ship might have already sailed in all honesty. But if Pat Elflein cannot become a productive player for the Panthers in 2021, he can kiss his chances of becoming a consistent NFL starter goodbye.
Bringing the former third-round pick out of Ohio State on board in free agency was a strange move. Especially considering how much Elflein’s struggled with the Minnesota Vikings and New York Jets during his career.
What’s perhaps even more worrying is that Carolina is giving him starting reps at left guard. Not exactly a position of the field that has room for passengers considering the questions surrounding blindside protection.
Greg Little – Carolina Panthers OT
- 2nd round pick – 2019
Time is running out for Greg Little. There is no getting away from that.
And in truth, the offensive lineman might already be past the point of no return.
The Carolina Panthers made a bold move up the second round to acquire the former Ole Miss standout in 2019. They struck gold with this method just two years before when Taylor Moton was taken, but any hopes Little had of reaching that sort of level have all but evaporated.
Little struggled to make an impression during his rookie campaign. This was followed by the introduction of a new coaching staff who clearly had their own ideas, which was another blow to the player’s chances of progression.
Matt Rhule and his staff weren’t apparently that high on Little. Especially when one considers he was on the field for just 134 snaps in 2020.
There are some major concerns surrounding Carolina’s options on the offensive line heading into the campaign. This could represent an opportunity for Little to claim some notable reps and he’s been seeing work all over the protection during the early stages of training camp.
Only time will tell as to whether Little can make the most of this chance. But judging by which way his career is heading, the lineman might not get another one.
Cam Erving – Carolina Panthers OT
- 1st round pick – 2016
Much like the situation with Pat Elflein, one might argue that Cam Erving is already a bust considering what was expected of the offensive tackle coming out of college.
His production at Florida State more than warranted a first-round grade, with the Cleveland Browns selecting Erving at No. 16 overall in the 2016 NFL Draft. Things haven’t exactly gone according to plan since and it’s evident that being taken this high came with expectations the player might not ever reach.
Erving does have a Super Bowl ring to his name from his 2019 season with the Kansas City Chiefs. But his time protecting the edge has left a lot to be desired and if the Carolina Panthers are planning to utilize him as a left tackle next season, it’s going to come with some big-time ramifications.
And not in a good way.
At least from watching Erving through his career to date, he does appear to be more comfortable on the interior. This is an avenue the Panthers could possibly go down if he fails to produce in the preseason, although it still begs the question surrounding just who is good enough to perform at left tackle.
It will take a drastic turnaround in fortunes for Erving to go down as anything but a bust at this stage. Disappointing in Carolina would confirm it.
Donte Jackson – Carolina Panthers CB
- 2nd round pick – 2018
First off, Donte Jackson has all the skills needed to become a potential shutdown cornerback for the Carolina Panthers. Even if he hasn’t managed to put it all together consistently as yet.
The 2020 season was a frustrating one overall for the former second-round pick. Jackson dealt with a problematic toe injury right up until the Week 13 bye, something that hindered his ability to make the necessary leap forward following the departure of James Bradberry in free agency.
Jackson did manage to finish the campaign on a high note with some outstanding performances down the stretch. This has left plenty of reasons to suspect a career year could be coming for the LSU product at just the right time.
It’s well documented that this is a contract season for Jackson. He’ll need to perform to the level we saw at the end of last season and – perhaps more importantly – stay healthy for the majority of the campaign.
If he can do this, then he’ll be thoroughly deserving of the pay increase coming his way next spring.
There is also a flip side to this coin.
Should Jackson fail to meet targets and suffer injury complications once again, it might see the Panthers cut their losses and let the corner take his chances elsewhere.
If this scenario does come to fruition – however unlikely it may appear – then Jackson will go down as a Panthers draft bust even if he thrives elsewhere.
Sam Darnold – Carolina Panthers QB
As far as players with most on the line in 2021, Sam Darnold has to be right up there. The Carolina Panthers are giving the player one more shot to prove beyond doubt he is a starting-caliber NFL quarterback, acquiring him from the New York Jets after an exhaustive search to find a potential upgrade on Teddy Bridgewater.
Whether he can make the most of it is the million-dollar question.
Darnold has the arm strength and velocity on his throws to push the football downfield consistency. Certainly better than Bridgewater managed during his one and only season in Carolina.
However, being a productive signal-caller is much more than that.
The former USC star needs to improve his footwork, decision-making, and ability to make the correct reads when pressure inevitably comes. Darnold’s made a solid if not spectacular start to life with the Panthers, producing some memorable highlights at camp that should be a solid foundation from which to build.
It won’t take long to find out whether or not Darnold can be the guy in Carolina. If things don’t pan out as expected and this team is ready to win now, then expect the organization to go bold in pursuit of landing a veteran that can take them where they want to go.
Should Darnold fail again with the number of weapons on the Panthers, then his career will be tagged with the bust label.