4 Carolina Panthers players facing an uphill battle at training camp in 2023
By Dean Jones
Donte Jackson - Carolina Panthers CB
Donte Jackson facing an uphill battle at training camp has nothing to do with his roster status. The cornerback remains an important part of the team's plans and has completed his ongoing emergence into a locker room leader, which will be essential to the Carolina Panthers defense in 2023 as they transition to a 3-4 base scheme under Ejiro Evero.
The reason why Jackson finds himself on this list centers on his recovery from a torn Achilles. This is one of the worst complications for any player to overcome - especially for someone that relies heavily on speed and quick twitch explosiveness.
To say these traits are a large part of Jackson's game would be an understatement. Therefore, it'll be interesting to see how the former second-round selection is recuperating and how much the Panthers put on his plate throughout their upcoming training camp.
In an ideal world, Jackson can take the field at 100 percent in Week 1 at the Atlanta Falcons and form a productive tandem alongside Jaycee Horn. However, Evero and his staff would be wise to err on the side of caution given how this sort of injury tends to flare up again if not given time to fully heal.
Jackson has a lot of hard work ahead and not a lot of time if he wants to feature heavily in Carolina's season opener. But the defensive back can relax safe in the knowledge he has a strong coaching support system that will take his best interests into account.