Positionless defensive players are one of the hottest trends in the NFL. Outstanding athletes like Derwin James, Tyrann Mathieu and Budda Baker have set a high standard for a new generation of hybrid defensive backs and linebackers. This year, several more are coming in via the 2020 draft class. The Carolina Panthers passed on the best of them in the first round, opting to pick Auburn defensive tackle Derrick Brown over Clemson swiss army knife Isaiah Simmons.
While it’s hard to justify using a top-10 pick on a nose tackle in any case, the team made up for that choice somewhat by trading up at the end of the second round to select Jeremy Chinn from Southern Illinois, another freakish athlete who can line up all over the defense.
Chinn told the media today via Zoom that defensive coordinator Phil Snow has him playing safety, nickel, dime and inside the box.
Chinn says he's playing safety, nickel and dime like he did in college, but he's now doing things inside the box as well.
— Alaina Getzenberg (@agetzenberg) August 12, 2020
This should be music to the ears of Carolina fans who are concerned about a defense that has been ranked No. 32 in the league going into the 2020 season.
Truth is, even if Chinn could play all 11 positions odds are this unit is going to struggle this year given its lack of experience. That said, hearing that defenders like Chinn and fourth-round pick Troy Pride Jr. are being moved around is a sign that Snow is willing to tinker, which bodes well in the long run.
It will be a long journey though, no matter how smart Snow is. If Chinn can work his way into the starting lineup, the Panthers will be fielding the youngest defensive unit to play in the NFL in a decade.
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