Cornerback being overlooked as major Carolina Panthers priority pre-draft

Has the cornerback position been overlooked as a pressing priority by the Carolina Panthers heading into the upcoming 2023 NFL Draft?

All the attention from fans and the media has centered on which quarterback the Carolina Panthers will select at No. 1 overall in the 2023 NFL Draft. This comes with the territory after making such an incredible trade with the Chicago Bears, which can also provide some much-needed stability at football's most prestigious position. 

That will kick off the draft and spark what will hopefully become a prosperous new era for the Panthers under Frank Reich. However, the team has many other needs that need to be addressed to further boost optimism that an NFL South title challenge could be in their immediate future. 

General manager Scott Fitterer discussed what he wants out of the draft - aside from the obvious - during his final press availability before the big weekend. The front office figure outlined certain position groups that are in need of an upgrade, as described by Augusta Stone and Darin Gantt from Panthers.com.

"In discussing the need to balance the amount of attention paid to the top pick to the other five, (Scott) Fitterer was asked about other needs. He first mentioned that teams "always need a pass rusher," but specifically added that they could add along the offensive line, at receiver, and linebacker. Of course, checking a lot of boxes in free agency means they don't go into the draft with many glaring needs (other than quarterback, though a second starting outside linebacker is close)."

- Augusta Stone/Darin Gantt, Panthers.com

While these groups could use some extra assistance, I must have missed the part when Carolina bolstered what looks like an extremely suspect cornerback group this off-season.

Moving forward with their current starting foursome is not an option. Eric Rowe could assist in coverage, but he was a free agent for a reason, so much more is needed before competitive action begins.

Let's break it down in a little more detail, shall we?

Jaycee Horn is a lockdown cornerback when healthy. But the former first-round pick has missed a lot of football over the last two seasons - 18 games to be precise.

When Horn was out, the production was abysmal. So there's a lot riding on the one-time South Carolina star remaining healthy for the entire campaign.

Donte Jackson is making good progress from a torn Achilles suffered in 2022 - the latest in a series of frustrating complications for the speedy defensive back. This is the worst of the lot by a considerable margin, especially considering how much the LSU product relies on explosiveness and quick changes of direction.

Worst-case scenario? Jackson never becomes the player of old, although he's doing everything in his power to ensure that's not the case.

C.J. Henderson and Keith Taylor Jr. have more questions than answers after lackluster seasons last time around. Stantley Thomas-Oliver III is a special team ace more than anything else and Herb Miller is coming off a season where he played four times and accumulated zero defensive snaps on the Cleveland Browns.

If the Panthers think this is enough, good luck to them. But defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero's preference to deploy nickel and dime packages often as part of his 3-4 base defense indicates investment is required to avoid unnecessary complications.

This is a top-heavy cornerback draft class. If the Panthers want to find someone that can help right out of the gate, then they must acquire one in the opening three rounds.

Otherwise, they'll be relying on a mid-round development project exceeding expectations, which isn't ideal.

Prioritizing the cornerback room has become something of an afterthought, which is bizarre and infuriating in equal measure. Hopefully, the trusted football men within the building treat this with a little more urgency when the 2023 NFL Draft rolls around.