Dec 1, 2024; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans (13) catches the ball as Carolina Panthers cornerback Michael Jackson (2) defends in overtime at Bank of America Stadium. Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

ESPN names Carolina Panthers' biggest roster hole following NFL draft

Originally posted on Carolina Panthers on SI
By Tim Weaver | Last updated May 8, 2025 8:33 AM ET

At least on paper the Carolina Panthers look to be one of the NFL's most-improved teams this offseason. However, not everyone is as high on this new-look group in Carolina as we are as rookie minicamp is set to kick off the offseason program tomorrow.

Starting quarterback Bryce Young is still getting disrespected in most QB power rankings despite his late-season surge that should at least put him in the top 15 starters around the league. Some analysts also think that the Panthers' defense is still the worst in the NFL right now despite landing serious upgrades in free agency and the draft.

One reason the rest of the community might be lower on Carolina's defense than we are is a disagreement over just how good their cornerback room is. While we see it as one of the stronger position groups on the roster, others see it as a liability. According to an analysis by Aaron Schatz at ESPN, cornerback is the Panthers' biggest roster hole coming out of the 2025 NFL draft.

ESPN on Panthers' biggest roster hole

"Carolina has all sorts of corner questions. Jaycee Horn is no problem when healthy, but 2024 was the first time when he played 14 or more games in a season. Veteran Mike Jackson struggled last season, ranking 79th out of 93 qualifying cornerbacks in coverage DVOA and 90th in yards allowed per target. Nickelback Chau Smith-Wade had good charting numbers as a rookie but in a very small sample size, a he played only 25% of defensive snaps."

It's fair to point out that Horn has had trouble staying healthy in his career, and Smith-Wade does appear to be promising as a potential long-term nickel option. However, we disagree with the idea that Jackson struggled last year. He did give up six touchdowns and a 106.5 passer rating in coverage, but it wasn't like he was giving up huge gains every other snap as opposing QBs honed in on him as they generally tried to avoid Horn's side of the field.

For what it's worth, Jackson got a solid 68.1 coverage grade from Pro Football Focus for the 2024 season, which ranked 60th out of 222 cornerbacks who qualified. That won't earn him a trip to the Pro Bowl, but it's enough from a respectable number two boundary corner.

In any case the Panthers certainly liked what they got from Jackson, who they rewarded with a two-year contract extension worth a total of $10.5 million.

That being said, Carolina could use more depth behind the projected starting trio of Horn, Jackson and Smith-Wade. Signing somebody like Mike Hilton would help in this department - but it's probably worth pointing out that cornerback depth is a need for most NFL teams and their options at this point in the offseason are relatively limited.

If Jackson is as bad as ESPN says he is, he'll get exposed in 2025 and Carolina will have to address that right boundary spot early in next year's draft.

This article first appeared on Carolina Panthers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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