Carolina Panthers hybrid defender Jeremy Chinn has been named the NFL’s Defensive Rookie of the Month for November, earning him the award for the second straight month.
Carolina traded up at the end of the second round of this year’s draft to pick Chinn, an athletic and dynamic playmaker from Southern Illinois. While the team’s first two selections – Derrick Brown and Yetur Gross-Matos – have both shown plenty of potential, right now it’s clear that Chinn is the gem of the team’s 2020 class.
Chinn has played in 11 of the team’s 12 games this season, totaling 87 combined tackles, five passes defensed, one interception, three quarterback hits and two fumbles recovered for touchdowns.
To be sure, there’s still work to be done. Chinn has missed 12 tackles this season, an average of 12.1%. He’s also allowed four touchdowns and a 110.3 passer rating when targeted.
That said, Chinn has shown tremendous versatility, range and instincts. He lines up all over the field and has taken on a wide variety of tasks, including covering Rob Gronkowski one-on-one and spying Kyler Murray.
Along with Brian Burns and Christian McCaffrey, he’s a cornerstone piece for this team. Chinn’s ceiling is as high as any young defender in the league.
