Carolina Panthers secondary can take the NFL by storm in 2022

Hopes are extremely high for the Carolina Panthers secondary, who could take the NFL by storm in 2022 if everyone reaches expectations. 

The Carolina Panthers have a very underrated secondary going into the 2022 season. The organization lost Stephon Gilmore in free agency and A.J. Bouye was a salary-cap casualty during the offseason, but there is enough talent to suggest this position group could be one of real strength in the coming months.

Those in power got themselves a solid acquisition in the form of Xavier Woods from the Minnesota Vikings. The veteran has already improved communication on the backend and his presence will also allow Jeremy Chinn more freedom to be instinctive, making plays all over the field in a dynamic fashion.

The return of Jaycee Horn after breaking his foot last year against the Houston Texans brings a physical shutdown presence that was lacking in 2021. He can potentially lock down the opposition’s No. 1 wide receiver consistently, allowing defensive coordinator Phil Snow to be more aggressive in his coverage packages and sending more blitzes.

Horn is a big, physical corner with exceptional athletic attributes. But with such a small sample size of just three games, it’s hard to tell if he can morph into a better zone cornerback and enhance his ability to become more efficient in this area of play.

The No. 8 overall selection in 2021 is used to the bump-and-run type of play as that’s what he primarily did at South Carolina. Horn has all the tools to take a significant leap next season and the Panthers will be hoping that there are no additional problems in terms of the player missing time.

Carolina Panthers’ secondary has the right blend of youth and experience in 2022

Chinn and Woods are also a good duo at the safety position, which the Panthers missed last year as Snow mainly used the Southern Illinois product as a free safety as opposed to in the box like he was in 2020.

Woods will bring veteran experience and a high football IQ to this secondary. Something that could benefit the Panthers given the relative lack of experience outside of Donte Jackson, who was brought back on a lucrative three-year deal this offseason.

There is also growing optimism surrounding C.J. Henderson after an outstanding preparation period. The former first-round pick has endured a tough start to life in the pros, but he’s certainly looked like the player many thought he’d become when the Jacksonville Jaguars selected him No. 9 overall out of Florida.

Keeping everyone healthy is crucial. But new defensive backs coach Steve Wilks could hold the key to unlocking this unit en route to potentially becoming one of the best secondaries in football.

This secondary room has the scope to be scary in 2022 as they can be very flexible in terms of philosophy and disguises due to the hybrid players they have under the tutelage of Wilks.

The experienced coach had a top 10 defense in five of six years Wilks was on the staff. He is a proven teacher and there is nothing but confidence in his abilities to bring the best out of this talented group of players.

Should the secondary reach or exceed expectations, then it will easily become the most productive group since Matt Rhule took over as head coach.

The excitement is palpable. Let’s just hope everything goes according to the script.