What’s next if Carolina doesn’t retain Haason Reddick? Breaking down Panthers D-line
For good reason, improving the Panthers’ offensive line and quarterback situation is a top priority this offseason.
Carolina has spent its past two first-round draft picks on defense. Every selection from coach Matt Rhule’s inaugural 2020 draft class plays defense. Allocating that much capital to one side of the ball helped the Panthers defense rank second in yards allowed last season.
A more analytical examination of Carolina’s defense, however, suggests that defensive coordinator Phil Snow’s unit was closer to average than elite. According to Football Outsider’s DVOA metric, Carolina ranked 15th against the run and 18th against the pass, good for 15th overall.
There is no guarantee the Panthers’ defense is a team strength next season. Pending free agents Stephon Gilmore, Donte Jackson and Haason Reddick will seek more lucrative contracts elsewhere. General manager Scott Fitterer is hopeful Carolina can retain either Jackson or Gilmore, but Reddick is unlikely to return.
Along with Brian Burns, Reddick dominated defensive snap counts in 2021. Only linebacker Jermaine Carter Jr. and Jeremy Chinn played more. Replacing Reddick will be challenging, but Carolina also has questions inside to address as well. DaQuan Jones led all interior defensive linemen in snaps. He’s also a pending free agent.
As part of our position breakdown series, here is a look at what’s next for the defensive line:
Defensive tackles under contract (six)
Key players
▪ Derrick Brown
The former No. 7 overall pick regressed in 2021, highlighted by a Week 12 benching against Miami. After his benching, Rhule said Brown was too inconsistent and drifted away from his technique.
At times, Carolina’s run defense was nonexistent. Brown deserves some blame for that. According to Pro Football Focus, Brown ranked 58th out of 200 qualified defensive tackles. That isn’t awful but more is expected of Brown.
The Panthers are confident Brown can establish himself as a dominant three-technique and every-down player. A successful season for Brown constitutes him consistently showing up on tape by making his presence routinely felt.
If that happens then the sacks and tackles will follow.
▪ Morgan Fox
Like Brown, Fox lacked consistency in 2021. The Panthers signed him away from the Rams last offseason to bolster their defensive line. Fox provides position flexibility by either playing inside or outside as a “5i.”
He’s consistent but not a game-changer. Fox finished fifth on the team in sacks with three. His 26 pressures were third on the team and ranked 46th league-wide.
He’ll have a similar role this season with hopes of more splash plays that lead to turnovers.
Role players
▪ Phil Hoskins
Hoskins appeared in three games in 2021 and earned 28 defensive snaps. The Panthers believe he showed enough as a rookie to hopefully earn more playing time next season. Hoskins was a seventh-round pick in the 2021 draft.
▪ Bravvion Roy
Roy played in all 17 games this past season but only earned 341 defensive snaps. He generated nine pressures and 15 tackles. Roy was a sixth-round pick in the 2020 draft. He’ll have an opportunity to earn extended playing time this season.
▪ Daviyon Nixon
Nixon appeared in seven games and played 82 defensive snaps last season. He generated four pressures and four sacks. Nixon was drafted in the fifth round (158th overall) in 2021. He was consensus All-American and Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year in 2020.
▪ Frank Herron
Herron spent most of the 2021 season on Carolina’s practice squad.
Edge rushers under contract (six)
Key players
▪ Brian Burns
Burns led the Panthers in pressures last season with 51, seven more than Reddick. His nine sacks were lower than expected, but the third-year player is flirting with stardom and is a breakout season away from landing a top-end contract extension.
He still has plenty to prove. Burns must become more consistent against the run. As a rusher, he struggled against double teams. Offenses found ways to neutralize his pass rush. Without Reddick, Burns will earn even more attention in 2022.
Carolina would like to extend Burns. Until then, he’ll play this season on his rookie deal. The Panthers will likely pick up his fifth-year option in May.
Fitterer considers Burns a cornerstone piece of the franchise. He’ll have every opportunity to prove that this season.
▪ Frankie Luvu
Many inside the Panthers organization believe in Luvu. In extended action against the Saints, he popped on tape and was all over the field.
Carolina re-signed Luvu to a two-year, $9 million deal a few weeks ago. They are paying him starter money. At the combine, Rhule said he views Luvu as a starter.
“If you watch the Saints game, he had to go in there for Haason, he played that outside linebacker position, he was disruptive, he had 11 tackles, we put him at inside linebacker, he makes plays,” Rhule said. “I think he’s one of those guys who is the heart and soul of a team. Every guy on our team respects Frankie, loves Frankie. I think Frankie is a guy who is going to start for us and play at a high level.”
That’s high praise. He’ll enter 2022 with heightened expectations and a Reddick-sized hole to fill.
▪ Yetur Gross-Matos
In Week 17 when several defenders were placed on the reserve/COVID list, Gross-Matos recorded four tackles and three hurries against the Saints.
Gross-Matos played the third-most snaps of all Carolina edge rushers. According to PFF, he graded out at a 63.8 overall, which is four points higher than Burns. He had four sacks and 12 pressures.
The Panthers are hopeful he continues his momentum into Year 3.
Role players
Johnson appeared in three games and earned 20 snaps last season. In limited action, he recorded one hurry and one tackle. Carolina acquired Johnson from Buffalo prior to the regular season.
▪ Joe Jackson
Jackson signed a reserve/future contract in Carolina in February. Prior to that, he played in three games for Cleveland in 2020 and five games for Dallas in 2019. He is a former fifth-round selection from the 2019 draft.
▪ Austin Larkin
Larkin spent the 2021 season on the Panthers’ practice squad and did not see any regular-season action.
▪ Azur Kamara
Kamara also spent most of his 2021 season on the practice squad. He was an undrafted free agent out of Kansas in 2020.
What we learned
The Panthers have a foundation up front that they should be able to keep building around. Burns and Brown should provide an inside-outside force that most teams lack. But overall, this is a thin position.
Losing Reddick will hurt. Gross-Matos must take a third-year leap and prove himself early as a capable starter. Then Carolina should add depth through its late-round draft picks.
Position breakdowns:
▪ The Panthers likely will only be able to re-sign one. Stephon Gilmore or Donte Jackson?
▪ Examining the Panthers’ biggest problem spot and the contract situations around it
▪ Panthers have decisions to make to shore up, maximize potential of receiver room
▪ Jeremy Chinn to remain at safety? What’s next for the Panthers ahead of free agency
This story was originally published March 11, 2022 at 6:00 AM with the headline "What’s next if Carolina doesn’t retain Haason Reddick? Breaking down Panthers D-line."
