Panthers stock watch: Jordan Matthews, young defenders stand out vs. Patriots in preseason

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Dave Canales’ first game as the Carolina Panthers’ head coach ended with a 17-3 loss to the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium on Thursday. But that final score wasn’t what mattered in the preseason opener in Foxborough, Mass., as the Panthers sat a massive group of players who will be on their 53-man roster come September.

Instead, the Panthers got to evaluate the second and third rungs of their depth chart, with the likes of Bryce Young, Diontae Johnson, Jaycee Horn, Xavier Woods and Derrick Brown watching from the sideline.

With rain pouring down on the back half of the Panthers’ roster, a handful of competing role players was able to make positive impressions to begin the exhibition slate. On the flip side, others will have more ground to make up after struggling during their shots at major playing time.

Here are the Panthers players who helped or hurt their stock Thursday against New England:

Stock up

S Alex Cook: The second-year safety got off to an excellent start on special teams by making an immediate stop on the opening punt return. Later, during the second defensive series of the game, Cook stopped Patriots running back Antonio Gibson after a 1-yard gain with a solo tackle in space. Cook has made plays in training camp this summer, and he was well thought of by the current defensive staff last season. With Sam Franklin (foot) sidelined and Caden Sterns’ waiver claim not working out, Cook is well-positioned to be a cog in the safety room this season. Cook produced four tackles.

CB Lamar Jackson: The practice squad holdover started the game and made some standout plays. He had a big pass breakup down the field early in the first quarter against Patriots wideout Tyquan Thornton and provided a tenacious run stop later in the evening. Jackson was able to play to his size (6-foot-2, 208 pounds) and toughness with live tackling. He was feisty in coverage and looked to be formidable against the run. He finished the game with two tackles and two pass breakups.

OLB Eku Leota: During the second quarter, Leota got in Patriots QB Bailey Zappe’s face on three consecutive plays. On the first two plays, Leota forced errant passes that led to incompletions. The second pressure arguably could have drawn a holding penalty against a New England lineman. Leota was able to step up with Jadeveon Clowney, D.J. Wonnum and Amare Barno not playing Thursday. He also outperformed D.J. Johnson and K’Lavon Chaisson as a pass rusher. Leota finished with a QB hit and two tackles for loss. He also had a stop on a kickoff.

TE Jordan Matthews: During an abysmal first half for the Panthers’ offense, Matthews — a 32-year-old wideout-turned-tight end — provided a bit of a spark. He caught back-to-back passes for 38 yards, including a QB bailout catch that led to a 28-yard gain on a scramble drill. Matthews caught all three of his targets for 48 yards. Matthews has impressed teammates and coaches with his special teams skills and work ethic throughout the summer.

DE T.J. Smith: The former Minnesota Vikings defender has seen his stock rise since pads were introduced in practice a couple of weeks ago. On Thursday, Smith used his strength and technique to push up the field and sack Zappe in the second quarter. The sack forced the Patriots off the field to end the first half. Like Nick Thurman last year, Smith is a late offseason addition who has impressed almost immediately.

RB Mike Boone: The deep reserve running back did a solid job as a starter in the first half. He picked up 34 yards on eight carries (4.3 yards per attempt) and added another 13 yards on three catches. Boone is trying to force his way onto the roster with Jonathon Brooks sidelined on the active/non-football injury (NFI) list. He had more targets in the passing game than Terrace Marshall, Jonathan Mingo and Ja’Tavion Sanders did combined in the first half.

Stock down

Backup offensive tackles: Ricky Lee and Badara Traore started at the two tackle spots Thursday. Each gave up a sack in the first quarter. Lee, the left tackle, was later whistled for a holding penalty, and Traore, the right tackle, gave up a second sack in the second quarter. The entire offensive line was filled with backups, and the unit looked overmatched throughout the game. Lee and Traore stood out the most, and the latter left the game in the second quarter with an apparent knee injury. The entire line gave up five sacks for 35 yards.

Terrace Marshall Jr.: Marshall was held without a catch Thursday, despite playing in the first two quarters and receiving an early target from rookie QB Jack Plummer. Marshall got open across the middle of the field, and Plummer put the ball high with a defender behind the receiver. The ball bounced off Marshall’s hands and fell incomplete with the drop — it should have been caught. Marshall has had a strong start to camp, but even in the rain that was a tough look. Marshall is looking to prove he deserves playing time with his third staff in four years.

QB Jack Plummer: The rookie QB had a rough night. Yes, he wasn’t helped by his receivers or his offensive line, but he still didn’t look effective in his role Thursday when given the opportunity. Plummer held onto the ball for long periods, took some pretty big hits and failed to air out the ball with any sort of consistency (unless he was targeting Matthews). He completed 11 of 21 passes for 86 yards (4.1 yards per pass attempt) and was sacked five times for a loss of 35 yards. On the flip side, Jake Luton — signed on Monday — completed 7 of 9 passes for 38 yards (4.2 yards per attempt). Luton also led the Panthers’ lone scoring drive in the fourth quarter. Both quarterbacks are competing for the third QB job in camp.

CB Willie Drew: The undrafted rookie got his shot in the second half and gave up the biggest gain of the day in coverage. JaQuae Jackson, a fellow undrafted rookie, beat Drew deep for a 38-yard touchdown grab. Jackson used a double move to break free from Drew, who was left in his dust by several yards. The secondary had performed relatively well throughout the night, so that blemish stood out big-time in the fourth quarter. Drew is staring up a mountain when it comes to the cornerback depth chart. He needs to rebound quickly to stick around beyond the summer, even if it’s just on the practice squad.