Winner No. 5
Will Lee III - Carolina Panthers CB
With the Carolina Panthers losing both Mike Jackson Sr. and Jaycee Horn to injury, fourth-round rookie cornerback Will Lee III has quickly become the CB1 until further notice. This has come sooner than expected, but despite the growing pains, he is responding well to the challenge.
Lee's performance against the Philadelphia Eagles was the best of his young career so far. The Texas A&M product faced wide receiver DeVonta Smith, and he more than held his own.
The first-year defensive back was assured in coverage. Lee mirrored Smith well in all areas of the field, coming up with three pass breakups. He wrapped up his tackles when needed, and though he did concede a touchdown to the dynamic pass-catcher, his coverage was excellent.
This was a major step in the right direction for Lee, who looks like he belongs. It won't be perfect all the time, but he'll benefit greatly from this experience, and the Panthers have another steal on their hands.
Loser No. 2
Luke Fortner - Carolina Panthers OL
It's been a difficult start to the season for Luke Fortner. The veteran center is clearly lacking confidence, which meant his performance was under more scrutiny than ever against the Eagles in Week 6.
Things didn't go well. Fortner struggled to snap the ball at times. He picked up a couple of frustrating penalties, and matching up against Jordan Davis and Jalen Carter was a difficult proposition.
The Panthers gave Fortner a lot of help, especially later in the game. Things were a little better after that, but one has to wonder how much longer it'll be before Carolina gives someone else a shot.
Rookie fifth-rounder Sam Hecht could be first in line if the Panthers opt for change. Brady Christensen is another option who could fill the void when he returns to health, so the pressure is on Fortner to find the form needed to earn the coaching staff's trust.
But everyone has a tipping point at some stage.
Winner No. 6
Bobby Okereke - Carolina Panthers LB
The Panthers brought Bobby Okereke in late. But after a sensational start to the campaign, he's proving to be one of the team's most important signings.
Devin Lloyd gets more hype, but Okereke has been a revelation so far. The intensity, playmaking ability, and three-down work in all phases have been a breath of fresh air. This is the best linebacker tandem Carolina's had since Luke Kuechly and Thomas Davis Sr. were dominating, which is high but deserved praise.
Okereke was everywhere at Lincoln Financial Field.
He finished with eight tackles, one sack, two pass breakups, three tackles for loss, and one quarterback hit in a phenomenal performance. He's a tone-setter in every sense of the term, and general manager Dan Morgan made a shrewd move to get him on board shortly before the campaign.
And if Okereke maintains these high performance levels for the entire campaign, the Panthers would be wise to extend his stay.
Add us as a preferred source on Google