Preseason week two is upon us and the Carolina Panthers will be facing off against the Tennessee Titans. Let’s examine five players from each team that will be integral in learning more about the looming cut from 90 players to 53 at the end of the preseason. Before we get started, I want to note that during the preseason starters do not typically play more than a handful of snaps and as such most starters will be omitted from the below list. Damiere Byrd will also be omitted from the list below because fans understand what he is as a player and should therefore focus on players that are lesser known. Be sure to check out Josh Klein’s preview for a look at other players and positional groups to focus on.
Five Tennessee Titans To Watch
#13 Taywan Taylor, Wide Receiver
Photo: Austin Anthony/BGDaily News
Taylor was the Titans’ third round pick this year and stands at 5-feet 11-inches and 203 pounds. Taylor makes this list because he represents the type of receiver that has gashed the Panthers defense in the past and is a receiver that showcased great route running ability, agility, and an overall penchant for finding the holes in the defense while in college and possesses the traits to continue doing so in the NFL. If the Panthers secondary can mirror and contain him then regular season matchups against the Patriots and Packers receivers become slightly less frightening.
#93 Kevin Dodd, Outside Linebacker
Many Panthers’ fans are familiar with Kevin Dodd, as he played for Clemson in 2015; in fact, more than a few wanted the Panthers to draft him in 2016. While the Panthers ended up drafting Vernon Butler, the Titans snagged Dodd in the second round and proceeded to limit his snaps more and more as his rookie year progressed before ultimately placing him on injured reserve in December. While Dodd has a great swipe and good bull rush, he needs to grow as a pass rusher to become successful in the NFL and by all accounts, he has grown as a player over the 2016 offseason. He was one of the standouts from joint practice this week and expectations are slowly rising for the young linebacker; if the Panthers are going to succeed on the offensive side of the ball in 2017 they will need players that can block out edge rushers that utilize swipes and bull rushes among other techniques. Therefore, how Dodd performs against the Panthers offensive line will give us a real glimpse into his future and the depth along the offensive line.
#25 Adoree Jackson, Defensive Back
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Jackson’s positional fit is similar to that of an “athlete” coming out of high school in the sense that he possesses the athleticism to play in a number of positions but doesn’t necessarily have a natural position. Jackson will likely man the nickel cornerback position moving forward but how he performs on defense is not why he makes this list. Instead, it is his return abilities, which will test one of the Panthers’ kick coverages, one of their biggest weaknesses during the 2016 season. If Jackson can break off big gains as a return man it will indicate a lack of growth by the special teams unit which has been mediocre in recent years. If they can contain Jackson, then there will be hope that the 2017 season will finally be the year that special teams isn’t a concern for Panthers’ fans.
#22 Derrick Henry, Running Back
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The Titans added Henry to their running back group during the 2016 draft and have been extremely happy with the results so far. Henry combines with DeMarco Murray for a great one-two punch and while he was overshadowed by fellow rookie Ezekiel Elliott last season, he is not a player that should be overlooked. The Panthers showed poorly against larger running backs in 2016 and how they scheme against Henry will give us an idea of how new defensive coordinator Steve Wilks will approach defending bigger backs in 2017.
#31 Kevin Byard, Safety
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Byard is another young player that the Titans will be hoping to see grow over the preseason. He is a ball hawking deep safety who performed well in his rookie year but will have to fight with Da’Norris Searcy for playing time moving forward. How Byard performs against the Panthers speedy receivers will help Tennessee decide how much Byard will see the field in 2017 and will help the Panthers decide which receivers to keep on the roster.
Five Carolina Panthers To Watch
#34 Cameron Artis-Payne, Running Back
The Panthers have never seemed sold on Payne’s ability and have relegated him to third-string in each of his two seasons with the team. While he has been an adequate replacement when Jonathan Stewart sits out due to injury, the team still tries to involve Fozzy Whittaker more than him. If Artis-Payne wants to make the final 53 man roster, he will have to prove to the Panthers and fans that he is more valuable than Whittaker considering the Panthers aren’t likely to keep four running backs. How he performs against a smash mouth defense will go a long way in determining whether or not the Panthers keep him.
#19 Russell Shepard, Wide Receiver
Even though Shepard has slowly become a vocal leader of the Panthers wide receiver group, he still needs to solidify himself as a reliable option for the offense. Because of Curtis Samuel’s injury, Shepard will likely see more playing time which will give fans a larger glimpse into how Shepard will fit into the offense moving forward. If Shepard struggles, then the Panthers will need incumbents like Brenton Bersin to step up and make plays; but if Shepard thrives then the Panthers offense will have a reliable weapon that they were missing in 2016 after Jerricho Cotchery retired.
#55 David Mayo, Linebacker
Mayo is Luke Kuechly’s backup now that A.J. Klein has moved on to New Orleans. As such, how he performs against a team that houses Derrick Henry and DeMarco Murray will be integral in evaluating the Panthers ability to rely on him if Kuechly is injured.
#22 Christian McCaffrey, Running Back
The hype train left the station awhile ago. McCaffrey has put a number of Titans players on skates in joint practice so all eyes will be on him this week. Will we see him split out more? Will we see more pitches and screens? These questions and McCaffrey’s play over the last week make him a player to watch, but the fact that he will be running against a Dick LeBeau defense makes his performance all the more important, considering LeBeau created zone blitzes and has made a name for himself being a phenomenal defensive coach.
#74 Daeshon Hall, Defensive End
Hall had a relatively quiet debut last week against the Houston Texans; while he performed well against third-string players, he didn’t show big flashes of potential as a pass rusher and showed poorly as a run defender. If Hall is to make an impact as a rookie then he will need to continue to grow throughout the preseason. Considering Hall is behind Charles Johnson, Mario Addison, Julius Peppers and Wes Horton on the depth chart, he will need to prove that he can contribute as both a pass rusher and a run defender in order to solidify his position on the roster.
