Subscribe
Follow Us
The Carolina Panthers are hoping for a turnaround in 2022. Matt Rhule's squad started out strong at 3-0, but quickly fell apart to finish 5-12. Carolina lost its final seven games and Rhule's coaching came under massive scrutiny.
As a rebuilding team, the Panthers had a relatively modest offseason. Carolina's biggest move this offseason was bringing in yet another starting quarterback in Baker Mayfield. The Panthers also drafted NC State standout Ikem Ekwonu to bolster a poor offensive line.
Carolina's main priority this season is developing its young players and making progress. The roster situation is very fluid, and few starters have their spot locked down long-term. With that said, let's take a look at two backups who can make the jump to starters this season.
Panthers backups who can steal a first-string job in 2022
2. CJ Henderson
Henderson entered the NFL in 2020 with hype surrounding him. The former Florida corner had a great college career with six interceptions and 20 passes defended in three seasons. NFL teams saw his potential, and Jacksonville selected him with the ninth overall pick in 2020.
Since then, Henderson has struggled to latch on in the NFL. He was solid in his rookie season, with 36 tackles, six passes defended and an interception in eight games. However, the Jaguars traded him to the Panthers early in the 2021 season, and he took a step back with his new team.
In 10 games with Carolina, Henderson had 31 tackles with just two passes defended and no picks. Considering that Carolina acquired him to make up for the loss of rookie Jaycee Horn, Henderson's performance was a bit of a letdown.
Even with the down season, Henderson still has the potential to be a solid corner in the NFL. He is the third corner on Carolina's depth chart, behind Horn and Donte Jackson. Both corners had a significantly better PFF grade than Henderson last season, so earning a starting job may be a bit of an uphill battle.
Article Continues Below
If he can regain his form from his Gators days, then Henderson has a real shot at jumping to a starter role. This season will be a make-or-break for Henderson, and earning a starting job will go a long way towards him making it.
1. Bradley Bozeman
To put it kindly, Carolina's offensive line was not good in 2021. Pro Football Focus rated the Panthers' line as the second-worst in the NFL, and three players earned a PFF grade below 60. The only starter who earned a grade above 70 was right tackle Taylor Moton.
To the Panthers' credit, they gave their line an overhaul this offseason. Moton returns, but the other four starters are all new. The line should improve with these new faces, but one decision stands out as odd.
Carolina currently has Pat Elflein as its starting center, rather than Bradley Bozeman. Elflein has more experience in this system, as this is his second season with the Panthers while Bozeman is a new addition. However, Bozeman has the clear edge when looking at the numbers.
Bozeman played over 1100 snaps last season with Baltimore and earned a solid PFF grade of 73.3. Elflein played in less than half the number of snaps and earned a much lower PFF grade of 50.1. With the Panthers' offensive line struggles last season, they should be rolling out the best unit they can.
Bozeman is dealing with an ankle injury that will sideline him for a couple weeks. Once he returns though, Carolina should promote him to the starter right away. The Panthers would be making a huge mistake by choosing the lesser lineman.
