Ranking the 10 best Panthers players from the first quarter of 2022
By Dean Jones
player. 87. . . . XAVIER WOODS. 7
Xavier Woods – Carolina Panthers S
It’s been encouraging to see Xavier Woods instantly thriving throughout the opening stages of 2022. The Carolina Panthers moved quickly in free agency to secure his services from the Minnesota Vikings and based on what we’ve seen so far, it looks like money well spent.
Woods’ veteran savvy on the backend has been a real asset. Something that needs to evolve further in the coming weeks if Jeremy Chinn is forced to miss time due to an injury suffered in Carolina’s loss against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 4.
As for Woods, it’s been so far, so good. And the player deserves enormous credit for getting his career back on track after struggling with the Dallas Cowboys in 2020.
. AUSTIN CORBETT. 6. player. 87. .
Austin Corbett – Carolina Panthers OL
As part of their offensive line revamp this offseason, Austin Corbett was a primary target and acquired thanks to a nice allocation of money in his direction. After a shaky outing in Week 1, the right guard has looked the part ever since and is another big reason why this unit looks night and day from the one that caused so much turmoil in 2021.
Corbett has yet to give up a sack or concede a penalty from 224 snaps so far en route to an exceptional 77.4 grade from Pro Football Focus. His leadership is another area that’s benefitting the Panthers significantly alongside stud right tackle Taylor Moton.
This is the biggest upgrade from John Miller’s inconsistency last season. Carolina’s offense has many flaws, but Corbett is not one of them that’s for sure.