How will Carolina Panthers DBs fare against each NFC South rival in 2022?
By Preston Seyl
Carolina Panthers DBs vs. Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons lost some depth at wide receiver this offseason. With Russell Gage now on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Calvin Ridley suspended for the campaign, they are a little thin on reliable options and need others to step up.
Atlanta’s latest depth chart has Khadarel Hodge and Olamide Zaccheaus as their two starting receivers as No. 8 overall selection Drake London is out with a knee injury. But nothing that will keep him out long-term.
It would be a shock if London wasn’t the No. 1 option when healthy, with stud tight end Kyle Pitts also featuring heavily in the team’s plans.
Pitts and London are both athletic freaks with great size and speed. The former Florida sensation is the more flexible of the two as you can split him out wide or in the slot, which makes him much harder to game plan for.
The Carolina Panthers will have to use Jaycee Horn or perhaps even Jeremy Chinn to cover these big-bodied receivers, using a combination of trap and bracket coverage on the two. Donte Jackson is not big enough to hang with London, so the Falcons will be looking for matchup mismatches during their two divisional contests throughout the campaign.
The biggest question where Atlanta is concerned surrounds the quarterback position. Trading Matt Ryan was a huge call to make, so whether Marcus Mariota or Desmond Ridder can do enough will determine their fate in 2022.