The Panthers kick off their regular season against the Jets in September. Together, these teams only won seven games last year, but there’s a lot of interesting storylines here. The NFL clearly thought so when they scheduled their Week 1 matchup.
Quarterbacks will dominate the discussion after both sides made seismic changes this offseason to the most important position on the field. New York traded their QB1 Sam Darnold to Carolina for three picks, then used their first-rounder on Zach Wilson, who should start right away. Asked about a showdown with the Jets’ former franchise QB, Wilson had nothing but nice things to say about both Darnold and the Panthers, per News12.
“I’ve talked to Sam before, he’s a great guy, but it’s not like I’m so pumped because it’s Sam. I’m excited because the Panthers are a great team, and it’s a great challenge for us. It has nothing to do with him. He’s a great player and he’s going to handle his own. It has nothing to do with the fact that he was here in New York, and now he’s there. I’m happy for him.”
Well, buttering up your opponents is certainly smarter than giving them bulletin board material. Credit Wilson for knowing that much.
Expectations for Wilson will be high after he was taken with the No. 2 overall pick in the draft. On film, Wilson has a ludicrous arm and moves as well as anyone can expect from a modern dual-threat QB. Adjusting to the speed of the pro game can be brutal even for top prospects, though. If Wilson needs any proof he can ask Darnold, who threw a pick-six on his first pass in the NFL.
As for the defense Wilson will be facing, the Panthers might have a potentially nasty pass rush led by Brian Burns and boosted by the acquisition of Haason Reddick. At middle linebacker, Denzel Perryman will be calling the shots – a superb upgrade over former starter Tahir Whitehead. Meanwhile, Jeremy Chinn will be roaming around all three levels. On the back end, the Panthers lost free safety Tre Boston but added a host of long cornerbacks who should radically improve their ability to play more man.
[lawrence-related id=637092]
[vertical-gallery id=636643]