4 second-year Panthers players with ‘stud or dud’ potential in 2022

Shi Smith – Carolina Panthers WR

Another sixth-round pick graces this article but once again it is through no particular fault of their own. Shi Smith has buckets of potential, so it was a conundrum when the young wide receiver was a healthy scratch for most of the season with how mightily Robby Anderson struggled for large parts of the year.

When the wiry receiver saw the field there was always the chance for an explosive moment as we saw on his 63-yard reception which totaled more than half of his overall yardage for the year.

But only having 11 targets in a season when the Carolina Panthers were starving for a spark on offense does more to show what was going through the coaching staff’s mind than anything else. That can be the most detrimental thing for a young player – the staff losing confidence in their ability to change the game.

Offseason workouts may sway things where Smith is concerned as the team has much bigger holes to fill than receiver this time around. Drafting another offensive player that is not along the offensive line would only alienate the fanbase even further and embolden the chants for a leadership change that echoed all throughout 2021.

However, that mountain may prove too steep to climb. If Smith doesn’t demonstrate the ability to get onto the field, he won’t be around very long.

Smith has every opportunity to be a true weapon on offense for the Panthers. But if he never manages to some time in the spotlight we may never know what he is capable of.