Former Panthers wide receiver Muhsin Muhammad likes what the team did in the early rounds of the 2020 NFL draft.
In response to a question by Joe Person at the Athletic, Muhammad chose first-round pick Derrick Brown and second-rounder Jeremy Chinn as the two pieces he would build around outside of star running back Christian McCaffrey. Here’s what Muhammad said.
“Derrick Brown. I would say Brown, obviously anchoring the D-line. They definitely want to build around him. Jeremy Chinn. Watching him play, his length, his aggressive, laser, seek-and-destroy kind of mentality. He’s fast. He’s an athlete, smart kid. I like him at safety. I like him at the rover linebacker. His cover skills, his closing skills — I like all of it. I thought it was a helluva pick.”
For what it’s worth, we agree and Chinn was our favorite pick of the draft.
Aside from superb athletic testing, the most exciting part about Chinn’s game is his versatility. During his time at Southern Illinois, he put in time at safety, linebacker, nickel corner and outside corner.
We believe his best path towards playing time as a rookie is to take over Eric Reid’s former spot as the starting strong safety. To do that, he’ll likely have to beat out Juston Burris, who was one of the team’s few defensive free agent signings this offseason.
The Panthers also need someone to replace Javien Elliott at nickel. Chinn might be a bit raw but matching his size and athleticism against slot receivers is a tantalyzing proposition.
As Muhammad mentioned, linebacker is another possibility. The team’s depth here took a huge hit due to Luke Kuechly’s retirement. Especially if Tahir Whitehead continues to struggle in coverage, there may be an opportunity for snaps there, as well.
Deciding where Chinn fits best is a good problem for defensive coordinator Phil Snow to have.
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