Carolina Panthers would still get elite CB production
Although Stephon Gilmore’s credentials are vast, there was some concern about how the veteran would return from a torn quad. This is a significant injury to come back from and something that the New England Patriots felt wasn’t worth a new deal, which is why he was traded just hours before a scheduled release.
As it turned out, Gilmore certainly looked the part when he was declared fit enough to resume team activities. He was brought along slowly by the Carolina Panthers – which was the right call to make – but there was enough of a sample size to suggest the former first-round pick is still capable of being a shutdown presence.
His work against Kyle Pitts was extraordinary and gave the Atlanta Falcons rookie a welcome to the NFL moment that didn’t go unnoticed by the tight end. Gilmore gave up 68 percent of balls thrown in his direction and conceded a 78.6 passer rating when targeted, which was solid enough and perhaps better than many anticipated after so long away from the gridiron.
If Carolina extended Gilmore and gave him a full offseason to prepare for the 2022 season, there appears little doubt his influence would grow as a result. Elite corners are hard to find, so allowing a one-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year to walk is a decision that might come back to haunt the Panthers.
They would get a compensatory draft pick in this eventuality. But it’s highly unlikely a fifth-round selection is going to have anything like the same impact.