4 Carolina Panthers players facing boom or bust seasons in 2022
By Dean Jones
Which Carolina Panthers players go into the 2022 season with boom or bust prospects?
The stakes are incredibly high for most within the Carolina Panthers in 2022. Fans are expecting much more from their team after years of languishing in mediocrity or worse, meaning jobs are on the line across the board if things continue in a similar fashion next time around.
Carolina has the talent and picking up a positive preseason win at the Washington Commanders helps from a confidence standpoint. However, there is also a lot of hard work ahead before the Panthers take the field in Week 1.
The term ‘boom or bust’ typifies the Panthers’ next season perfectly. For some players, it has the potential to be a deciding factor in whether head coach Matt Rhule can make the improvements needed in Year 3 of his tenure.
With this in mind, here are four Panthers players facing boom or bust seasons in 2022.
Player No. 1
Derrick Brown – Carolina Panthers DT
While Derrick Brown has performed well over his first two seasons, the Carolina Panthers are expecting the defensive tackle to dominate from start to finish next time around. The former No. 7 overall selection has all the tools needed to become a big-time force, even if the consistency does need to improve on occasions.
Brown is a space-eater that can take over a game when in the mood. But if things don’t progress effectively in 2022, then it could cast some doubt about his potential to enter the Pro Bowl-caliber category one day.
The Auburn product worked hard during the offseason in pursuit of a major leap. Considering how short the Panthers are of legitimate contributors across the defensive front, they’ll need him more than ever.