5 Carolina Panthers players set for bigger and better things in 2022
By Dean Jones
Phil Hoskins – Carolina Panthers DT
Unearthing diamonds late in the draft has become the hallmark of Scott Fitterer’s time in the league so far. This was evident on the Seattle Seahawks and has managed to transition effectively to the Carolina Panthers following the front office figure’s well-deserved promotion.
Another fine example of this came last season when the Panthers took a seventh-round flyer on Phil Hoskins. The defensive tackle took time to establish himself on the rotation as expected, but the impression made by the Kentucky product indicates much more could be on the way with further refinement.
Hoskins did not look out of place whatsoever and there were times when he was almost unblockable. Building on this positive momentum is the next step for the lineman, which could result in much more in the way of playing time as a result.
It appears as if Daviyon Nixon is taking a while to get back from a serious knee injury that ended his rookie campaign ahead of time. Bravvion Roy is a serviceable rotational piece but nothing more than that, so Hoskins has a real shot to emerge as the primary backup behind Derrick Brown and Matt Ioannidis with a standout training camp.
What comes next is down to Hoskins. But the Panthers will give him every chance to further push his way into their plans in the coming weeks.