The most exciting pick the Panthers made in the 2020 NFL draft came at the end of the second round when they traded up for Jeremy Chinn.
Chinn doesn’t come from a well-known college program, but his sensational athleticism will give him a great chance to be successful in the NFL. Another thing he has going for him is versatility. Chinn is typically listed as a safety. However, during his time at Southern Illinois he lined up at a lot of different positions. In fact, Chinn says he wouldn’t even give himself a position, per the official team website.
“I wouldn’t even give myself a position. . . I think I’m just a defensive weapon. I think I’m just a threat.”
While there he hasn’t had the chance to practice with the Panthers yet, during the virtual offseason program Chinn says they’ve shown him he’s going to be doing a lot.
“They’ve showed me that they want me doing a lot. . . Just from meetings with me going back and forth between different positions and learning so many positions, and learning what guys are doing all around me from the D-line, to the backend, to the corners, and everything.”
We will likely see a lot of Chinn in Eric Reid’s former box safety role. Expect to see him moved around the field a lot, though. It will be very interesting to see how defensive coordinator Phil Snow uses him.
Chinn and the rest of the 2020 rookie class will get quite a challenge out of the gate. If the NFL proceeds with plans to cancel half of the preseason schedule, they will face the Patriots first, followed by the Ravens.
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