A lot of things have gone right for the Carolina Panthers so far this season.
Most importantly, quarterback Bryce Young is balling out the way a No. 1 overall pick should. Plus, their tight end room is respectable for the first time in a decade, running back Chuba Hubbard has regained his former explosiveness and, thanks to free-agent signee Devin Lloyd, they've finally filled the longstanding void at inside linebacker.
All that being said, this team does have some significant weaknesses as they return to action coming off their early bye week.
The offensive line is an ongoing concern, but at least reinforcements are on the way. Their biggest issue is at the cornerback position, where starters Jaycee Horn and Mike Jackson will be out for quite
some time on injured reserve.
In Week 4, the Panthers started rookie Will Lee III and veteran Akayleb Evans. While Lee acquitted himself well, the Detroit Lions honed in on Evans like a heat-seeking missile—and roasted him over and over again. So going forward, the Panthers have to consider taking Evans out of the lineup—but who would take his place?
According to Mike Kaye at ESPN, they should consider nickelback Chau Smith-Wade for the role. Kaye writes:
In their Week 4 win over the Lions, Evans allowed 12 catches for 208 yards and a touchdown (on 16 targets), according to NFL Next Gen Stats. Lee had a better outing (four catches allowed for 47 yards on seven targets). The Panthers could use some help at the position or a significant switch-up in the starting lineup. Chau Smith-Wade, a 2024 fifth-round pick, is an option.
On the surface, this makes sense—as the Panthers have another capable slot defender in Corey Thornton, who lost a close offseason competition at this position to Smith-Wade and is currently on the practice squad. What they don't have is an abundance of traditional boundary cornerbacks ready to step up and take Evans' place.
Other corners on the practice squad include Robert Rochell, DeVonta Smith (not that one), Zion Childress and Marco Wilson.
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This article originally appeared on Panthers Wire: ESPN suggests big change for Panthers' struggling secondary
