5 mouth-watering Carolina Panthers clashes to watch at NY Jets joint practice

Xavier Legette vs. Jets cornerbacks

Xavier Legette is back at practice following a spell on the sidelines with a foot issue. The Carolina Panthers avoided a major scare following an MRI that revealed no fractures, so hopefully it will be smooth sailing for the wide receiver from here on.

Legette is a physical, explosive wideout who can provide the Panthers with something they lacked last time around. Those in power will get a broader indication of what the No. 32 overall selection in the 2024 NFL Draft might be capable of when the regular season arrives versus the New York Jets, who boast an exceptional secondary across the board.

The Panthers would be wise to line Legette up against All-Pro cornerback Sauce Gardner frequently. He's one of the best shutdown defensive backs in the business, so it'll only help the first-year pro's development whether he gains success or not.

There's also the small matter of D.J. Reed on the other side to factor into the equation. The Panthers might err on the side of caution with Legette's reps given he's still working his way back to optimum fitness, but the opportunity to pit his wits against arguably the league's best young cornerback tandem is something Carolina shouldn't waste.

Carolina Panthers iOL vs. Quinnen Williams

The Panthers spent vast financial resources improving their offensive line interior this offseason. Robert Hunt and Damien Lewis come with big price tags and lofty reputations. They represent a significant upgrade at the guard spots, but staying healthy is critical to Carolina's chances of providing quarterback Bryce Young with sufficient protection.

Austin Corbett's transition to the center spot is experiencing some growing pains currently. That's to be expected. However, the Panthers can only afford this to continue for a little while longer with Week 1 at the New Orleans Saints on the immediate horizon.

This interior trio will get all they can handle versus the Jets at joint practice. They'll have to cope with stud defensive lineman Quinnen Williams, the human wrecking ball capable of destroying an offensive game plan when early momentum is generated.

If the Panthers aren't up for the challenge, Williams is going to run riot. That's going to make things even more difficult for Young in pursuit of accumulating some much-needed momentum before the campaign.

Hunt, Lewis, and Corbett have the quality production and experience to limit complications. Whether they're cohesive enough as a unit to cope with Williams' pure dominance is another matter.