5 Panthers position battles that could be decided in preseason Week 2

Carolina Panthers DT3

There appears to be a developing battle within the defensive tackle group as to just who is going to be the primary backup if Derrick Brown and DaQuan Jones are forced to miss time at any stage. This was not the case at the start of training camp.

The Carolina Panthers will get a good look at Bravvion Roy and fifth-round pick Daviyon Nixon once again when they come up against the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday. Who exceeds expectations might end up in pole position to secure the DT3 role.

Roy is a Matt Rhule guy from their time at Baylor. He also performed well over what anybody thought possible coming out of the draft as a sixth-rounder with a development project tag.

There appears to be some real momentum building where Nixon is concerned.

The biggest compliment one could give the Iowa product just a few short weeks into his NFL career is that he’s bringing his game on with every passing practice and nobody is talking about the character concerns that saw him plunge from a projected second-round selection into Day 3.

Phil Hoskins might not be ready for a key rotational piece just yet. But the seventh-rounder has a chance to firmly cement a spot on the 53-man roster after making some noticeable strides over the last week.

This is a great problem for the Panthers to have. One that further enforces just how special this defensive front might be.