It has been years since the Panthers have had a respectable and consistent defensive backfield. This year is no different, as the team’s longest tenured cornerback is Donte Jackson, the third-year DB coming off a less-than-impressive sophomore campaign. While Carolina needs Jackson to have a bounce-back season to give the secondary any hope, there are bigger concerns about who takes his old spot at CB2. Now, Matt Rhule is telling reporters there is an open competition for the position.
With less than two weeks until Carolina’s home opener against the Las Vegas Raiders, let’s take a look at some of the top candidates for the job.
Eli Apple
Apple (6-foot-1, 203 pounds) has had a mixed bag of a football career. While he has shown flashes of potential, those moments have been offset by inconsistency that’s placed him on his third team in just five seasons.
His career got off to a rocky start with the New York Giants, as a heated exchange with a coach led to a suspension by the team at the end of his rookie season for conduct detrimental to the team. Soon after, former teammate Landon Collins went on a radio talk show, saying Apple was “a cancer” for the Giants.
Apple began to turn things around midway through 2018 when he was traded to the New Orleans Saints. The former first-round draft pick was an immediate starter with his new team, totaling 52 tackles, nine passes defended and two interceptions in 10 starts. His 2019 season was less successful, as he allowed a 100.9 passer rating. Apple is now looking for another fresh start with Carolina.
Troy Pride
Pride Jr. (5-foot-11, 195 pounds) comes into the competition as the youngest of the candidates. Although the rookie lacks NFL experience, he has already proven to the coaching staff he has what it takes to make a splash in the league.
In four seasons at Notre Dame, Pride Jr. lit up the field with 121 tackles, 18 passes defended, four interceptions and two fumble recoveries. A lot of these plays can be credited to his speed, which ranked fifth among defensive backs in the 2020 draft class and helped him to run a 4.40 at the 2020 NFL combine.
At the Panthers Fan Fest-esque practice at the Bank of America Stadium about a week ago, Pride Jr. was wearing a black jersey, meaning he’s on pace to be a starter if the season began today. However, Pride’s size is a concern if he’s playing outside, especially in a division stacked with some of the best (and biggest) receivers in the league. That’s why he has been seeing reps at nickel cornerback, too,and the black jersey might mean we see him in the slot Week 1.
T.J. Green
Green (6-foot-3, 215 pounds) is entering his fourth season in the NFL, but he hasn’t really found a home yet. The Clemson product was picked in the second round of the 2016 NFL draft by the Indianapolis Colts.
In 31 games, he totaled 85 tackles and brought five of them down for a loss. However, an injury at the end of the 2017 season left him roster-hopping the following season, with stints in Seattle and New Orleans, including about three months on the Saints practice squad. Finally, the Panthers claimed Green late last season from New Orleans and he now finds himself in a battle for a starting role.
Early in training camp, the four-year NFL veteran was sporting the black jersey for defensive starters, so we know he’s in the mix.
Corn Elder
Elder (5-foot-10, 185 pounds) brings back many not-so-great memories to the minds of Panthers fans, but he has a legitimate chance to see substantial playing time given the lack of experience in the secondary. Elder played in 13 games for Carolina in 2018, starting none of them and failing to put together any sort of meaningful performance on defense. Although he balled out during his time at Miami, he hasn’t been able to translate that success to the next level.
Elder wouldn’t be in the conversation with the coaching staff that released him in 2019, but with Rhule coming in, his chances dramatically rise if he can prove himself. Like Pride, Elder also has a shot to see playing time in the slot.
Projected Winner: Eli Apple
We predict Apple’s experience and length will win him the outside corner battle to start the season. Although someone like Pride Jr. may take over if Apple struggles, we think he can carry over the potential he showed in New Orleans. He was signed by the team to a low-cost, high-reward deal. If it pays off and Apple returns to form, it will be one of the best moves that general manager Marty Hurney made this offseason.
