The Carolina Panthers played their first preseason game of the summer against the New England Patriots on Thursday night. 33 players, including most of the team’s projected starters, did not participate—leaving the rest of the roster to get some valuable playing time.
These reps were important, especially for some guys at the bottom of the depth chart—so consider this game more of a rehearsal for those who saw action. It was their time to shine, and there were quite a few who did exactly that.
I took a deep dive into the All-22 film from Carolina’s first live-action game of the campaign and came away impressed with several players. So without further ado, here are four Panthers who shined from Week 1 of the preseason:
OL Brady Christensen
Not often do you have any player who can line up at all five spots on the offensive line. Since being selected in the third round of the 2021 NFL draft, Christensen has shown just that—and continued to prove himself as a valuable depth piece for the Panthers up front.
Christensen has played in various blocking schemes over the last three seasons under three different offensive coordinators—Joe Brady, Ben McAdoo and Thomas Brown. This year, he’ll be playing in what looks to be a mixture of both gap and zone blocking.
This gives him an advantage, and could even make him an intriguing free agent next offseason.
You rarely see players not K/P/LS play 100 percent of the OFF/DEF snap. #Panthers OL Brady Christensen did, with reps at both RG and RT.
One of the few versatile OL in the league who can play quality ball at all five spots.
He’d start on quite a few NFL teams. pic.twitter.com/Jl3kdoi0SA
— Jared Feinberg (@JRodNFLDraft) August 10, 2024
Christensen played 100 percent of the offensive snaps, seeing time at right tackle and right guard. He displayed sound technique overall, working with accurate punches and strikes to the chest plate of defenders.
When he strikes first, he tends to win more often than not. His anchor was steady and he showed good communication in stunt and twist games.
Thursday night showed why the offensive line may not take a step back if the former BYU standout were forced into the lineup during the season.
OLB Eku Leota
Frankly, the edge has been an area of concern for Carolina since Haason Reddick left to join the Philadelphia Eagles in 2022. The problem this year is that the group doesn’t have an established No. 2 pass rusher to pair with Jadeveon Clowney.
But while he’s a long shot to win that role, Leota has stood out in more ways than one this summer.
The former undrafted free agent from Auburn made a statement in his first piece of preseason action, getting consistent pressure on the quarterback and terrorizing the backfield. His effectiveness shows that he has added more mass to his 6-foot-3, 252-pound frame.
Eku Leota has made a tremendous case to be one of the several OLBs on the #Panthers roster. He’s disruptive, competitive, and disciplined as a pass rusher despite being somewhat undersized. pic.twitter.com/JNyqJIUmW9
— Jared Feinberg (@JRodNFLDraft) August 10, 2024
Leota displays more power and explosiveness as a pass rusher than he did a year ago while offering technical prowess when attacking the quarterback and defending the run. He displayed how to squeeze gaps, set the edge and attack the inside shoulder offensive linemen as a counter.
The second-year player’s performance from Thursday night will do for Sunday afternoons this fall. It wouldn’t be a surprise if he not only makes the 53-man roster, but also earned significant playing time as a potential situational pass rusher.
CB Lamar Jackson
You might be thinking about the quarterback and two-time Most Valuable Player here. But this is the relatively unknown corner who’s trying to make the name for himself.
Jackson showed why he’s a top backup on the unit—one that not only lacks solidified depth, but also needs reinforcements given the injury history of starter Jaycee Horn.
#Panthers CB Lamar Jackson made an excellent case to make the 53-man roster in a few weeks. Made plays in coverage and vs. run.
1st clip: recovery speed, eyes, ball skills
2nd clip: aggression at the catch/contact point
3rd clip: downhill tackle vs. run pic.twitter.com/mYudN0lDIs— Jared Feinberg (@JRodNFLDraft) August 10, 2024
What Jackson displayed early in this game is impressive. If you watch the first clip of the post above, you’ll see him use great recovery speed while turning his eyes back to the ball at the last second to make a play on it.
Later, he showed awareness and discipline in zone coverage while attacking downhill to charge at the ball. Jackson also showed capable skills and willingness as a run defender.
The next thing we should want to see from Jackson is how he handles uncomfortable situations. That is going to be key on whether he’ll be a reliable depth piece moving forward for defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero’s defense.
S Alex Cook
The former Cincinnati Bearcat has been on my radar, going back to Week 9 of last season when he flashed run support ability against the Indianapolis Colts.
With backup safety and special teams ace Sam Franklin Jr. shelved due to a foot injury, Cook is taking advantage of the opportunity presented to him. He’s flying around on special teams and playing fast.
More so, he’s playing with discipline in the run game. Should he make the 53-man roster, Cook has a great chance to make an impact early on with the special teams unit.
Cook has shown to struggle at times in coverage, but it’s not what he needs to be asked to do. He did, however, put forth a few good instances of working into the flats and hook drops in Cover 3—showing he is capable of improving. We’ll see how the remainder of the preseason goes for him.
#Panthers S Alex Cook showing he can impact the game in different ways.
With Sam Franklin Jr. out, expect Cook to take over his role on special steams and depth safety.
Cook showing some downhill ability in the gap vs. run and effort/tackling on STs. pic.twitter.com/7RfW85Vctp
— Jared Feinberg (@JRodNFLDraft) August 10, 2024
