5 Carolina Panthers players with most to prove in Week 2 at NY Giants
By Dean Jones
Yetur Gross-Matos – Carolina Panthers DE
It was a day to forget for the Carolina Panthers’ defensive front in Week 1. They struggled to contain the run and generated very little pressure on quarterback Jacoby Brissett, which is not going to win a lot of football games if things continue like this long-term.
The Panthers bestowed a significant opportunity on Yetur Gross-Matos this offseason. He’s been promoted to a starting role after shining on the defensive rotation since joining the franchise, but it was an underwhelming first outing for the Penn State product to begin his 2022 campaign.
Gross-Matos couldn’t make the necessary impression against a Cleveland Browns offensive line that was missing two-time All-Pro right tackle, Jack Conklin. Things don’t get any easier for the former second-round pick this weekend, with the New York Giants boasting an outstanding tackle tandem in the form of Andrew Thomas and Evan Neal.
Again, it’s just one game and Gross-Matos had more on his plate than ever before. However, the Panthers didn’t pick the player at No. 38 overall in 2020 for him to be a long-term rotational piece.
They wanted him to be a top performer. And the jury is still out as to whether or not Gross-Matos can take the right leaps as the campaign goes on.
Hopefully, this was the wake-up call Gross-Matos needed in terms of finding out what it takes to evolve from a depth piece to the starting lineup. Carolina’s lack of defensive line depth should also ensure he gets a prolonged run in the team.