Carolina Panthers must lean heavily on the secondary
Although the Carolina Panthers have more than a few questions to answer across the defensive front seven, there is genuine hope the secondary can become one of the league’s best in 2022. The return of Steve Wilks to coach this group will assist an untold amount, but the quality of players in starting positions is something else that can provide the spark needed to take the NFL by storm.
Of course, much of this is down to the return of Jaycee Horn. The former first-round pick managed just 2.5 games as a rookie before breaking his foot, but he certainly looked like a shutdown cornerback before this disastrous turn of events.
If Horn and Donte Jackson can become the tandem expected – locking up their respective sides of the field along the way – then it can be the springboard for bigger and better things to come.
Keith Taylor flashed as a rookie and huge growth is also expected from C.J. Henderson. If all four corners live up to their billing, what a group it promises to be.
There is also a lot to like about the new safety partnership of Jeremy Chinn and Xavier Woods. We all know what the Southern Illinois product can do following an exceptional first two seasons in Carolina and if Woods also reaches expectations, the sky’s the limit.
Leaning on their secondary is only going to aid the Panthers next season and possibly beyond. And Wilks could be the guy to take this unit into a completely different stratosphere.