The Panthers are down a cornerback. Dane Jackson suffered a hamstring injury that could sideline him for up to six weeks, per ESPN’s David Newton. Head coach Dave Canales described the injury as “significant” (via Newton), and considering the suggested timeline, there’s a good chance Jackson starts the season on the IR.
This was an unfortunate development for Jackson, who was in line for a significant role in Carolina’s secondary. The cornerback signed with the Panthers back in March after spending the first four seasons of his career with the Bills, where he started 28 of his 52 appearances (and five of his six playoff games).
With the Panthers, Jackson was expected to soak up some of the snaps left over following the departures of Donte Jackson and Jeremy Chinn. Jaycee Horn is still penciled in atop the depth chart, but the rest of the team’s cornerbacks corps lack experience. That grouping includes the likes of Troy Hill, Lamar Jackson, rookie fifth-round pick Chau Smith-Wade, and recent addition Anthony Brown.
Even before Jackson’s injury, the team was searching for some reinforcement at the position. The team worked out Jerry Jacobs before adding Brown, and they were connected to Stephon Gilmore at various points of the offseason. Joseph Person of The Athletic writes that it’s unknown “what the recent engagement has been” on the Gilmore front, but the writer still says Jackson’s injury will once again put the Panthers in the cornerback market.