5 players the Carolina Panthers should not give up on in 2022
By Dean Jones
Shi Smith – Carolina Panthers WR
Much like the situation involving Deonte Brown, there was plenty to suggest Shi Smith might be able to carve out a significant role with the Carolina Panthers later in the campaign. The sixth-round pick certainly looked the part in college at South Carolina, but his transition to the next level didn’t go as smoothly as many would have liked.
Smith was used sparingly by the Panthers in 2021. He played just six times and was given 11 targets, six of which he converted into receptions for 104 receiving yards.
This was surprising to see. Especially considering the Panthers didn’t get much in the way of reliable production from anyone in the passing game outside of Christian McCaffrey and D.J. Moore, who went over 1,000 receiving yards for a third-straight year despite the lack of production under center.
Carolina still doesn’t quite know what it has in Smith, who can also be a weapon on special teams if given the opportunity. Nobody was expecting miracles from the wideout right away, but it’s vital he demonstrates enough in the way of development this offseason to command more involvement next time around.
It was a small sample size, for sure. But the Panthers should not give up on Smith just yet by any stretch of the imagination.