Carolina Panthers rookie guard Chandler Zavala has been in pads just twice this summer—and one of those two instances came on Friday night.
The fourth-round pick spoke to reporters on Sunday afternoon, fresh off his preseason debut in the team’s 21-19 loss to the New York Giants. When asked about his thoughts on the speed of NFL action, he didn’t seem to be fazed.
“For me, I think it’s relatively the same,” Zavala said while comparing it to his time at North Carolina State University. “In the Power Five conferences, everybody’s tryna get a job. So, everybody’s gonna play fast, just like they’re playin’ in the NFL.”
Zavala spent a pair of seasons playing in the ACC, where he earned first-team conference honors in 2022.
But now that he’s one of those guys that got himself a job in the pros, how did he feel about his overall performance on Friday?
“I performed like . . . I was okay, like for not being in pads for eight months,” he said. “Just the second day in pads, I did okay. But I can do a lot better.”
With Cade Mays out due to a neck injury, Zavala got the nod at right guard to begin the night at the Meadowlands. He played each of his 21 offensive snaps as part of the team’s starting group, and allowed zero pressures over eight chances.
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