Daviyon Nixon – Carolina Panthers DT
Much has been made about the lack of defensive line depth on the Carolina Panthers. The organization does have some financial resources to make the necessary moves if the right opportunity comes along, but the increase in performance from Daviyon Nixon is something else that could assist in this critical area of the field.
Nixon was a draft steal by the Panthers in 2021. But it was a frustrating rookie campaign overall thanks to a serious knee injury that halted some encouraging early momentum.
It took Nixon some time to get over this complication and Carolina has been patient with the former Iowa stud. However, there were real signs of life during their recent joint practices versus the New England Patriots, which was the biggest indicator yet that he could play a big part in the rotation.
The Panthers have Derrick Brown and Matt Ioannidis as the team’s starters on the interior. Phil Hoskins and Bravvion Roy are also vying for playing time, but one could make a case for Nixon being in the driver’s seat right now.
Nixon is gradually building up confidence and there don’t appear any after-effects of ramping things up on the injured knee. A major positive that can hopefully propel the lineman to bigger things moving forward.