Carolina Panthers 53-man roster prediction after 2022 minicamp

Carolina Panthers cornerbacks

• Donte Jackson, Jaycee Horn, C.J. Henderson, Keith Taylor Jr., Chris Westry, Kalon Barnes.

Although the Carolina Panthers will be without the services of Stephon Gilmore in 2022, there is still enough talent within the cornerback room for this unit to more than hold their own. Donte Jackson re-signing on a three-year deal worth $31.5 million kept some semblance of continuity and he’ll be tasked with leading this group on and off the field next season.

Another element that cannot be overlooked is a return to full health for Jaycee Horn. The former first-round pick is looking to stamp his mark as a shutdown presence after missing 14 games as a rookie thanks to a broken foot, which is something he looks more than capable of based on a small sample size during the previous campaign.

C.J. Henderson has drawn rave reviews for his production during offseason workouts so far. It was a slow burn for the Florida product following his trade from the Jacksonville Jaguars last year, but Steve Wilks is clearly having the right effect on a player that has an exceptional amount of athletic attributes to call upon.

Second-year-pro Keith Taylor Jr. is another who shone over the early preparation period. This could indicate that more is on the way after the 2021 fifth-round pick flashed over his first season in a professional environment.

Chris Westry has some unique length and physicality that offers something a little different. We’ve spoken previously about Myles Hartsfield’s versatility to play corner if required and seventh-rounder Kalon Barnes will be a speedy special teams presence while getting other areas of his game up to speed.