While exciting at times, Sunday's opener did not prove to be a successful regular-season debut for the Carolina Panthers. Putting up 37 points out of the gate is awfully good, but allowing 59 points—even if it's to a high-powered Chicago Bears offense—is, obviously, awfully bad.
From an individual standpoint, the loss played host to 16 debuts on offense and defense. The group featured 11 veteran additions and five rookies.
So, how did the new guys fare on film?
Here are Pro Football Focus' overall offensive and defensive grades for the players who made their Panthers regular-season debut this weekend . . .
Veterans on offense
- LT Rasheed Walker: 79.7 (68 snaps)
- TE Darren Waller: 78.5 (24 snaps)
- RB AJ Dillon: 73.2 (seven snaps)
- QB Kenny Pickett: 68.9 (seven snaps)
- C Luke Fortner: 63.5 (61 snaps)
- G Corey Bullock: 59.9 (nine snaps)
- OT Stone Forsythe: 59.4 (10 snaps)
Walker was given a team-best pass-blocking grade (88.6). He allowed just one pressure over 43 pass-blocking opportunities.
An offensive pass interference
call wiped out what would've been a touchdown for Waller on Carolina's very first offensive drive of the campaign. He finished with two receptions for 28 yards.
Fortner received the third-lowest pass-blocking grade for Carolina (65.7). He was charged with three pressures over 41 chances.
Rookies on offense
- RT Monroe Freeling: 59.9 (61 snaps)
- C Sam Hecht: 57.9 (seven snaps)
Freeling was a notch below Fortner with the second-lowest pass-blocking grade (62.0), allowing a team-high four pressures (three hurries, one sack). The first-round pick did, however, receive Carolina's second-highest run-blocking grade (77.5).
Hecht, one of the team's two fifth-rounders, came in on the final possession of the game.
Veterans on defense
- OLB Jaelan Phillips: 69.2 (58 snaps)
- ILB Bobby Okereke: 67.3 (66 snaps)
- DL TeRah Edwards: 53.9 (22 snaps)
- ILB Devin Lloyd: 31.9 (74 snaps)
Phillips was responsible one of the defense's two sacks. He tied, with defensive lineman Derrick Brown, for a team-high four pressures.
Okereke recorded six tackles. He led the Panthers with an 81.5 tackling grade and an 80.7 pass-rushing grade.
His fellow starting inside linebacker did not perform as well. Lloyd's 31.9 overall defensive grade and 36.7 coverage grade were both the lowest on the team, as he allowed seven catches for 58 yards and a touchdown on nine targets.
Rookies on defense
- DL Aaron Hall: 64.6 (34 snaps)
- DL Lee Hunter: 60.7 (34 snaps)
- CB Will Lee III: 44.9 (27 snaps)
Hall was credited with three pressures.
Hunter tied with Okereke for the highest pass-rushing grade (80.7). He also tallied a team-high five stops.
Lee recovered a fumble on the game's opening drive, but largely struggled from there. He was given team-lows in run defense (28.0) and tackling (26.5).
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This article originally appeared on Panthers Wire: PFF grades for every player who made their Panthers debut in Week 1 loss to Bears
