Carolina Panthers should let the rookies run
The Carolina Panthers had a very interesting approach to the 2021 NFL Draft, forgoing any quarterbacks being possibly the most questionable of those decisions, and with general manager Scott Fitterer wheeling and dealing all season long the team is without a Day 2 pick in 2022.
This means that the team desperately needs to find out just what they have in these young rookies who have seen little to no action in 2021.
While players like Deonte Brown and Thomas Fletcher have been absent due to injury, others like Terrace Marshall Jr. and Shi Smith have either been healthy scratches or at the best an afterthought for the Panthers when on the field. Not to mention how Chuba Hubbard disappeared once Christian McCaffrey came back from injury.
Then there is the case of Phil Hoskins, a player that fans have been anxiously waiting to see on the field since the preseason and instantly had an impact with an impressive sack of the ever-elusive Tua Tagovailoa in his first regular-season action at the Miami Dolphins.
The most baffling of all, however, is Brady Christensen. The highest-graded college left tackle in Pro Football Focus history, that the team never plays at left tackle. Even when Dennis Daley is the only other option behind Cam Erving.
The NFL is an experience-based league and until these young players get this, the Panthers won’t know what holes are left to fill with their limited picks in 2022.
Players like Hoskins and his relentless motor have the potential to be at least a solid rotational piece on the defensive interior. With the struggles the Panthers have had along the line, why not put Christensen or even a now healthy Brown out there so they can learn how to protect at the NFL level without the pressure of having to compete for a title.
On top of that, a player like Smith would be much cheaper to keep around than the disappointing Robby Anderson if the team only knew what the young receiver was capable of.
Put these guys in, let them run, let them make mistakes, and learn from them so that they will be ready to contribute next year and beyond. Or, failing that, let the team know what they still need to go after in the 2022 draft.