The Carolina Panthers may be void of some wins since head coach Matt Rhule took over. But as they enter the 2022 campaign, they’re certainly not void of some interesting storylines.
Here are just a handful of those to keep an eye on for Saturday’s preseason matchup with the Washington Commanders.
May I have this field?
To this point, Rhule has refused to call a winner in his team’s ongoing “quarterback competition.” Heck, he hasn’t differentiated Baker Mayfield and Sam Darnold on the depth chart nor has he even said who’ll start this game.
But, it just seems like a matter of time until Mayfield takes that spot under center. He and Darnold will likely each get a series against Washington in the next step of this battle, then give way to PJ Walker and rookie Matt Corral for the remaining bulk of the contest.
We’ll see if Mayfield can leave his fellow 2018 draftee completely in the dust, even in such limited time, and if Corral can shine in his.
Ickey shuffling
Similarly to their quarterback competition, the Panthers want 2022 first-round pick Ikem Ekwonu to earn his keep. And that means overtaking second-year lineman Brady Christensen on the blindside.
Ekwonu and Christensen have shared reps at left tackle this summer, with each taking some work on both the first and second teams throughout workouts. When their sixth overall selection wasn’t at the position this braintrust drafted him to be at, he was kicked in to left guard—and vice versa with Brady.
Look for Christensen to come out first off the edge, with Michael Jordan beside him. As the current state of the depth chart indicates, Ekwonu will likely sub into the spot later on or even get some additional looks from the interior. (For the sake of everyone’s sanity, let’s hope the latter isn’t the case.)
The No. 2 behind No. 22
Given Christian McCaffrey’s recent injury history, there’s some prime real estate to be had at the No. 2 spot on this depth chart. But will it be Chuba Hubbard or D’Onta Foreman that eventually claims it?
As Rhule did with the starting quarterback job, he refused to separate the two—listing both as the second-string option. So Saturday afternoon’s tilt, especially with McCaffrey likely out, will serve as nice showcase for this battle.
Will it be Hubbard, who has had an eye-opening offseason, that draws first blood? Or will it be Foreman, whose power style could be a better complement to McCaffrey?
The edge of glory
Opportunity awaits on Carolina’s defensive line opposite of Brian Burns. Because without Haason Reddick around, this group has about 11.0 sacks to make up for.
Yetur Gross-Matos will more than likely be that second starter at defensive end. But it’ll be up to a committee—one also featuring Marquis Haynes Sr., Frankie Luvu and perhaps even some rookies in Brandon Smith and Amaré Barno—to replace that team-leading production.
With Haynes Sr. likely out as he continues to heal up his knee injury, Smith and Barno should see some decent chances, perhaps off the edge.
