Breaking down Carolina Panthers’ safety, cornerback groups ahead of 2024 training camp

As the Carolina Panthers mark down the days until their first full training camp in Charlotte, The Observer is spotlighting the team’s roster one position room at a time.

With just one day left before workouts begin, the secondary gets an audit.

The big question: With all of the moving parts, can Panthers repeat success in secondary?

The Panthers, despite their faults in pretty much every other department last year, were pretty strong when it came to defending the pass last season.

The unit allowed just 171.3 passing yards per game, which ranked third-best in the league. They also surrendered just 6.06 passing yards per play — good enough for seventh in the entire NFL.

But after an offseason of major change in the secondary, its fair to wonder if the pass defense can maintain that success in 2024.

While top starters, cornerback Jaycee Horn and safety Xavier Woods, will return — along with the entire defensive staff — the front office has shaken up the defensive backfield quite a bit.

Vonn Bell and Donte Jackson were shipped out of town, while Jordan Fuller and Dane Jackson were added to the mix. The team brought back nickel corner Troy Hill and special teams ace Sam Franklin, but the Panthers also added veteran safety Nick Scott and fifth-round cornerback Chau Smith-Wade to the depth chart.

With so much movement in the secondary, the Panthers are hoping Horn can finally stay healthy for an entire season. They are also in dire need of strong contributions from Fuller and Jackson, who have ties to the coaching and front office staff, respectively.

The Panthers’ DB depth chart

▪ The projected starters: CB Jaycee Horn, CB Dane Jackson, CB Troy Hill, S Xavier Woods and S Jordan Fuller — Horn needs to stay healthy after appearing in just 22 of 51 games during the first three years of his career. When Horn is on the field, he’s tremendous, but too often he has been sidelined with a list of varying ailments. After picking up Horn’s fifth-year option, general manager Dan Morgan needs to see some return on investment from his talented No. 1 corner.

Jackson has a long history with Morgan. The GM signed Jackson to a low-end starter-level deal in hopes of getting a bargain partner for Horn. While there are plenty of skeptics surrounding that move, Jackson does have quite a bit of starter experience, and he is used to competing for his job in training camp. Hill was also brought back to compete with Jackson and work as a nickel corner after a strong first season in Carolina.

Woods is coming off a career season with the Panthers. While he doesn’t have a Pro Bowl to his name, Woods is a strong communicator and his play has been largely consistent while with Carolina. Look for defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero to lean on Woods and Fuller, his former Los Angeles Rams pupil, a lot this year. Fuller is hoping to turn his familiarity with Evero into a long-term contract in free agency next year.

▪ The projected backups: CB Chau Smith-Wade, S Nick Scott, S Sam Franklin — Scott and Franklin are longtime backup safeties with starting experience and special teams chops. Scott, like Fuller, has a background with Evero, and Franklin played for the defensive coordinator last year. That familiarity could help the Panthers if either Fuller or Woods goes down due to injury.

The Panthers selected Smith-Wade in the fifth round in April. The former Washington State corner is learning the nickel position, and he believes he can still provide support on the outside as well. While Smith-Wade — who was placed on the active/physically unable to perform (PUP) list on Saturday — might be a project this summer, he has a solid chance of contributing early in his rookie year with the aging Hill, 33, in front of him.

▪ The competition: S Jammie Robinson, CB Dicaprio Bootle, S Alex Cook, CB D’Shawn Jamison, CB Lamar Jackson, S Demani Richardson, CB Willie Drew and S Clayton Isbell — Robinson, last year’s fifth-round pick, will face a lot of competition this summer. Cook, who shined in limited starter reps as a rookie, could end up one-upping Robinson in the secondary. Both second-year players will also need to hold off undrafted rookies like Richardson and Isbell this summer. Cook and Robinson both have special teams upside, which could help them land roster spots.

At cornerback, the proven depth is considerably light. While Bootle and Jamison flashed at times in coverage last year, they will still face competition this summer. Bootle is currently in the driver’s seat for the fourth cornerback spot, but he needs to have a good summer to hold onto the job. Jamison has return ability and played quite a bit on defense last year. Jackson and Drew will try to surprise onlookers in camp if the team doesn’t add to the group over the next few weeks.

Player to watch in camp: Dane Jackson

The number two cornerback job is a concern heading into the summer.

That concern has less to do with Jackson working opposite Horn and more to do with the No. 1 corner’s history of notable injuries. If Horn were to go down again, the Panthers would be stuck with Jackson as their top coverage man. While Morgan has a storied appreciation for Jackson, the veteran cornerback is not exactly as shutdown defender in the secondary.

If Horn continues to be oft-injured, Jackson would go from being a No. 2a or No. 2b corner to the No. 1 guy in an instant. That’s not necessarily encouraging for the defense.

The Panthers decided to pass on cornerbacks in the first four rounds of the draft, so it’s not like Jackson is facing notable competition in camp this summer. While the Panthers could still add a notable veteran like Stephon Gilmore or Adoree’ Jackson in the coming days or weeks, the current set up is troublesome because of Horn’s history and Jackson’s lack of consistent play during his four years in Buffalo.

Jackson’s performance in camp this summer could ease the concern of onlookers. On the flip side, it could also force the Panthers to act and sign a more proven veteran in the middle of camp.