4 replacements if the Carolina Panthers let Donte Jackson walk in 2022
By Dean Jones
Who could potentially come in and replace Donte Jackson if the Carolina Panthers decided to let the talented cornerback walk in 2022 free agency?
Donte Jackson is about to embark on the most important season of his professional career. The speedy cornerback is heading into the final year of his deal and needs to convince the Carolina Panthers he is reliable enough to get a lucrative extension next spring.
The former LSU star certainly looked the part once fully recovered from a toe problem that affected Jackson up until the Week 13 bye. This is some positive momentum from which to build in 2021, but staying healthy is of paramount importance to the player in pursuit of a bumper payday.
Should Jackson remain healthy and perform to the level expected, then the Panthers would be wise to keep him around.
However, they’ve had no problem letting corners entering their prime leave in the past.
Carolina Panthers have let top CBs leave in the past.
The likes of James Bradberry and Josh Norman immediately spring to mind. Carolina also drafted Jaycee Horn at No. 8 overall in the 2021 NFL Draft, which is something else to consider when Jackson heads to the bargaining table next year.
It doesn’t appear as if the Panthers are in a position to let players like Jackson leave at this stage of their rebuild. His athletic attributes are unquestioned, it’s staying on the field that’s the biggest concern.
With this in mind, here are four potential replacements if Carolina ends up letting Jackson walk in 2022.