Buried player earns Carolina Panthers roster spot with superb preseason display

There weren't many positives to take from the Carolina Panthers' preseason opener against the New England Patriots. Head coach Dave Canales opted to rest 33 players for the contest to preserve health heading into another important week that will also feature joint practice with the New York Jets. He believes this is more important than game-day reps right now.

The absence of most starters provided an opportunity for others. Those on the fringes fighting for key backup roles and places on the 53-man roster got extended reps to prove their credentials. Most, especially on offense, failed to meet even modest expectations.

It wasn't all doom and gloom despite what you saw on social media from the team's disillusioned fanbase. There were some positives to take from the clash. These won't have gone unnoticed by Canales and general manager Dan Morgan as part of their ongoing evaluations.

Carolina Panthers OLB Eku Leota turned in a stylish preseason performance

One player who helped himself more than most is Eku Leota. The edge rusher was arguably the team's best performer on a defense that held its own more often than not. He generated pressure consistently, made his tackles count, and provided a sense of urgency and energy that was sorely lacking elsewhere.

Leota was unfortunate not to make the roster after standing out last summer. He stayed around on the practice squad and got some regular-season experience over the second half of 2023. This experience served him well if performance levels this summer are any indication.

This production received some glowing praise from Canales when speaking to the media after his first NFL game as head coach. The former Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator likes the intensity Leota brings to the table - something that could make a big difference in his pursuit of more involvement this time around.

"Eku it just starts with strength. He played so hard tonight and was playing physical. I've got to look at the film to see what the whole story was, but the effort was there, and the style of play was fantastic."

- Dave Canales via Panthers.com

Carolina isn't blessed with tremendous depth in their edge rushing room after losing several established figures this offseason. Opportunity knocks for Leota and others. Based on his trajectory over training camp and a highly polished display in Carolina's opening preseason outing, he seems to be locking up his place on the squad.

Nothing is set in tone, but it's hard to ignore the momentum building around Leota. With D.J. Wonnum, Kemoko Turay, and Amare Barno all on the shelf, the Auburn product looks capable of filling the void. His disruption - especially when going up versus the Patriots' first-string unit to start the game - dictates as much.

Leota played almost the entire contest, which was something of a surprise. It's also a sign of the increased trust in the player coming from defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero. That's arguably the biggest positive above all else.

This will be morale-boosting for Leota without getting too carried away. He won't be taking anything for granted, but Morgan would be hard-pressed to leave him off the roster if the same trend continues before Week 1 at the New Orleans Saints.

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