Panthers Secondary Receives Sub-Par Ranking from PFF

The Carolina Panthers should have a better-than-average defense in the upcoming season. The defensive line should be able to get to the quarterback more consistently than they were able to last year. The Panthers have a few more experienced players at the middle linebacker position at this point than they had in 2020. One of the determining factors is how the new members of their secondary will perform.

The Panthers spent a lot of money and draft picks to sure-up the cornerback position in the offseason. On paper, this should help, but there are still questions and holes when it come to this unit. Pro Football Focus (PFF) has the Carolina Panthers secondary ranked No. 23 in the NFL, which is in the bottom half of the league, going into 2021.

“The Panthers have selected Jeremy Chinn, Troy Pride Jr. and Jaycee Horn in the past two drafts to join Donte Jackson in the secondary, showing that the team values speed and athleticism. . . Improvement from Chinn in his second season, along with immediate contributions from newcomers Horn and A.J. Bouye, could lead to an improved secondary for the Panthers in 2021.”

Jeremy Chinn’s coverage play will be a huge factor to observe as the season progresses. Also a close attention should be on A.J. Boye’s performance as he switches from playing outside to defending the slot position. Assuming that Jaycee Horn lives up to his billing and family name and Donte Jackson continues to ascend, the only problem area would be at free safety.

Releasing Tre Boston for minimal cap space was a questionable move made by Panthers management. They failed to draft anyone to help out or take over the free safety spot vacated by Boston. The only player of note that was signed by the Panthers to play the position was Lano Hill, who only started six time throughout his career.

If this free safety position isn’t dramatically improved by Juston Burris or someone else on the roster, it could be the cause of many problems on the already unproven secondary. Finding an adequate solution to the problem should be a major priority on defense as training camp gets underway next week.