The Carolina Panthers outside cornerback depth outside Jaycee Horn and Dane Jackson are young and inexperienced.
D’Shawn Jamison (an undrafted free agent from 2023) and Dicaprio Bootle (an undrafted free agent from 2021) have starting experience. Jamison started one game and represented 107 defensive snaps as a rookie, and Bootle started two games and represented 183 defensive snaps in 2023. Quandre Mosely (an undrafted free agent from 2022) has played one defensive snap in his career, while Chris Wilcox (a seventh-round pick from 2021) has yet to play a regular-season game, and Willie Drew is an undrafted free agent from this year’s draft.
To make matters worse, their projected starter suffered an injury.
The Carolina Panthers veteran cornerback suffered a significant injury
Dane Jackson suffered a hamstring injury during their joint practices against the New York Jets a week ago last Wednesday. Dave Canales described his injury as “significant” and said he could miss up to six weeks. He will probably miss the start of the season and is a candidate to start the season on injured reserve.
Carolina, concerned with their depth at cornerback, acquired a veteran defensive back.
The Carolina Panthers acquired a cornerback from the NFC West
According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, the Panthers traded Michael Barrett to the Seahawks for Michael Jackson. Jackson spent the last three years with the Seahawks, starting 21 out of 36 regular season games. He recorded 111 tackles, one interception, and 19 pass deflections.
Trade: The #Seahawks traded with the #Panthers for rookie LB Michael Barrett in exchange for CB Michael Jackson.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 22, 2024
The Seahawks tendered Jackson, essentially a one-year, non-guaranteed contract worth $3.116 million. However, they adjusted his contract by reducing his cap hit from $3.116 million to $1,222,500 and adding a $167,500 signing bonus.
This trade leaves their other starting cornerback under an enormous amount of pressure.
The Carolina Panthers cannot afford another injury to their former first-round pick
With the injury to Dane Jackson, the Panthers need Jaycee Horn to stay healthy all season. Horn has battled many injuries throughout his first three seasons in the NFL, causing him to miss 29 out of 51 regular season games. He missed 14 with a fractured foot in 2021, four with a chest injury and a broken wrist in 2022, and 11 with a hamstring injury in 2023.
Despite battling injuries, Horn has potential as an elite cornerback. If they didn’t believe he has potential, they wouldn’t have exercised his 5th-year option for the 2025 season. All he has to do is stay healthy. The sky is the limit for him.
