The Carolina Panthers have traveled to northern Florida to participate in their first of two joint practices this preseason against the Jacksonville Jaguars. And there will be a lot to unpack from the session.
Both teams are coming off turnaround campaigns and respective division titles and face higher expectations this upcoming season. It is a great test for the head coaches, Dave Canales and Liam Coen, to get a better idea of how far along their teams are.
There are many things to discuss in this joint session, including identifying the key stories to watch for during practice. Let's look at three of them as the Panthers get a fun test against a 13-win Jaguars program.
Carolina Panthers should watch these areas closely during joint practice with the Jaguars
A test against Jacksonville's pass rush
We saw last week how Monroe Freeling and Rasheed Walker did against the Buffalo Bills. They were solid in their efforts, but more work is left to be done as they face one of the better pass-rushing duos in the NFL.
Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker were force multipliers on the edge for Jacksonville's defense. Both are powerful rushers who will test the core strength and anchoring ability of Walker and Freeling. I want to see if the latter has a consistent day at joint practice against this group, especially in terms of timing and rhythm in his pass sets.
This is a good joint practice for Freeling to learn in, allowing him to attempt different things to see what works in the moment as he prepares for next week's battle against Houston Texans phenom Will Anderson Jr.
Which Panthers' interior offensive lineman can step up
One of my biggest takeaways from last week's game in Buffalo is that the Panthers' interior offensive line depth could be an issue. Things could get better if Ikem Ekownu returns and slides inside, but that is a topic for another time.
The focus this week is on who can do better with the first-team offense when Damien Lewis and Robert Hunt are off the field. Finding something better than Chandler Zavala should be the key.
Whether that is Isaia Glass, Brady Christensen, Jake Curhan, Nick Samac, or Ja'Tyre Carter, the Panthers must identify their depth pieces at guard against the Jaguars' interior defensive front.
Panthers pass defense vs. Jaguars passing attack
Expectations for the Jaguars' passing offense are that they could be amongst the best in football this year with a litany of talent at the skill positions. Quarterback Trevor Lawrence is coming off a year where he was an NFL MVP finalist, and the second year under Coen could be even better this time around.
This is a wonderful opportunity for Panthers defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero's secondary and pass rush to utilize their playbook and new upgrades — including former Jacksonville linebacker Devin Lloyd — to see how far they have come this offseason.
Jaycee Horn and Mike Jackson Sr. will be tested by the likes of Brian Thomas Jr., Jakobi Meyers, Brenton Strange, and Travis Hunter, with Parker Washington currently day-to-day after sustaining an undisclosed injury. The Panthers' defensive front gets to test Jacksonville's offensive line in pass protection.
Get your popcorn ready...
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