Which Carolina Panthers players have the potential to make surprising contributions during the upcoming 2022 season?
The Carolina Panthers are in the midst of roster building ahead of the 2022 season. It’s been an eventful offseason period to date and although the organization has plenty of salary-cap space available to make further moves, their chances for improvements have definitely been enhanced by some exceptional acquisitions so far.
There will be plenty more twists and turns to come regarding player turnover before the Panthers take the field in Week 1. Perhaps there will be a new quarterback under center after Sam Darnold bombed-out miserably and some exciting college recruits are also set to join the ranks during the 2022 NFL Draft to offer further encouragement where problem positional groups are concerned.
Carolina will also be relying upon current roster members to stand up and be counted. The team lost some influential figures in free agency and as part of cost-cutting measures, which means opportunities could be available for some to make lasting contributions when competitive action resumes once again.
With this in mind, here are five Panthers that might just surprise a few in 2022.
Player No. 1
Deonte Brown – Carolina Panthers OG
There was a quiet sense of optimism surrounding Deonte Brown heading into his rookie campaign. The Carolina Panthers took a sixth-round flyer on the mammoth Alabama product, who slipped in the draft due to weight concerns that did become something of a problem during his first season in the pros.
Brown didn’t see much of the field, which was a damning indictment of what the coaching staff thought of his chances given how much Carolina was struggling to protect efficiently on the interior. This preparation period is a pivotal one for the player, so it’s vital he approaches it with the right attitude in pursuit of earning more time on the field.
If everything goes according to plan for Brown, then it’s hard to envisage a scenario in which the lineman doesn’t make substantial strides.