Re-grading Panthers position groups on defense after 2021 season
By Noah Bryce
Carolina Panthers CBs
This position may have had the most up and down of any group in the NFL this season due to all the injuries and moves that the Carolina Panthers made both before and during the campaign.
Rookie Jaycee Horn and veteran Donte Jackson were quite possibly the stoutest cornerback duo in the league during the early going. This seemed to quiet the voices of fans angry that the team did not pursue a quarterback or offensive lineman in the first round of the draft.
Teams were actively attacking Jackson for the first time in a few years as Horn was an ace at locking down the side opposite him. That is until the South Carolina product went down with a freak injury in Week 3 at the Houston Texans.
Jackson was once again elevated to No. 1 on the depth chart and coped incredibly well, locking down his assignment to a similar degree as Horn. But the team needed reinforcements and traded for second-year player C.J. Henderson and installed him alongside the Panthers veteran.
This move had very mixed results as Henderson was plagued with rookie mistakes and nagging injuries, but he developed quite well late in the season. The Panthers made another bold move to acquire Stephon Gilmore before he was released by the New England Patriots.
That singular move, should the superstar corner decide to run it back with the Panthers next season, might be the best and most future-looking move Carolina has made. Gilmore was a revelation and played up to his NFL Defensive Player of the Year record, providing an instant spark as the team brought him along slowly.
The slot was more of a mixed bag as offseason acquisition A.J. Bouye had some spectacular moments, for both sides. The veteran would make an amazing stop and follow it up with a blown assignment. There was far more good than bad, but that inconsistency hurt the team at points.
Finally, the players brought in thanks to injuries to every starting corner the Panthers had, performed better than expected in most cases. Especially rookie Keith Taylor Jr. who nobody expected to play a role.
- Preseason Grade: A
- Final Grade: A+
Should the Panthers be able to bring back this group at full strength next season, this is the best cornerback room in the NFL, and it’s not really close.