This week we have been taking a look back at the defensive position groups of the 2018 Carolina Panthers. It’s no secret that the Carolina defense struggled to produce a pass rush this past season. They will absolutely be looking to address this in free agency (unlikely) or the draft (much more likely). The Panthers ranked 27th in the NFL with 35 sacks in 2018, their lowest total since the 2011 season. 2011, where Greg Hardy and Thomas Keiser tied for the team lead with four sacks a piece and Carolina finished with 31 total. Let’s take a look at how the defensive ends produced in Ron Rivera’s defense in 2018 and why the Panthers will need to key in on this position in the coming weeks:
Julius Peppers
2018 Stats: Five sacks, six tackles for loss, 22 tackles, 75.9 Pro Football Focus Grade (#21 EDGE)
2017 Stats: 11 sacks, 10 tackles for loss, 33 tackles
Julius Peppers announced this offseason that he will be calling it a career after 17 NFL seasons. Peppers will go down as one of the all-time greats at this position and deserves recognition as a first-ballot Hall of Famer.
His retirement leaves the spot opposite Mario Addison wide open with only two edge players (Efe Obada and Marquis Haynes) left on the roster to fill it. Regardless, no one will argue against the fact that it was probably the right time for Peppers to hang it up. His production dipped from 2017 to 2018 dramatically and the Panthers could find better uses for this cap space than a 39 year old defensive end.
.@juliuspeppers_ 150th career sack is also a forced fumble 😤😤😤 pic.twitter.com/9luWsBG3aa
— Carolina Panthers (@Panthers) October 13, 2017
Career Overall Grade: A+
2024 Predictions: First ballot Hall of Famer.
Mario Addison
2018 Stats: Nine sacks, 11 tackles for loss, 35 tackles, 69.9 Pro Football Focus Grade (#38 EDGE)
2017 Stats: 11 sacks, 10 tackles for loss, 44 tackles
Mario Addison led the Panthers in total pressures, but ranked just 31st in pass-rush productivity pic.twitter.com/DBzvuNzx4z
— PFF (@PFF) February 27, 2019
Mario Addison proved to be Carolina’s most effective defensive end in 2018, but that’s not saying too much. Addison’s 20 sacks combined over the last two seasons are nothing to scoff at, but he shouldn’t be leaned on to anchor this pass rush.
Addison has been a model of overlooked and under-appreciated consistency through his time in Carolina. At the very least, he will provide a solid veteran presence with a reasonably high floor moving forward. At a $10.6M cap hit in 2019, Addison should be considered an absolute bargain.
Opposing offensive coordinators quick-passed a stubborn Panthers zone scheme to death in 2018, which tended to kill the pass rush. Several changes should benefit the pass rush next season, starting with an influx of talent through the draft or free agency.
2018 Overall Grade: B+
2019 Predictions: Addison starts the season strong and the Panthers give him a two year extension by week eight.
Efe Obada
2018 Stats: Two sacks, two tackles for loss, one interception, 61.4 Pro Football Focus Grade (Unranked EDGE due to number of snaps)
2017 Stats: N/A (Practice Squad)
Obada’s story is incredible, as has been well documented. The formerly trafficked and homeless Englishman is very easy to root for and flashed at times this season. If he is able to develop more consistency, he could be strong depth at this position. At a cap hit of $570k in 2019, any production is effectively a bonus.
James Bradberry breaks up the in route, the ball gets tipped and Efe Obada gets the present pic.twitter.com/UF8dBR9NNM
— SeanG (@poundempanthers) September 25, 2018
Obada also gets a chance to play in front of his home crowd when the Panthers take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in London this season. That should be a fun one to watch.
2018 Overall Grade: B+
2019 Predictions: Obada flashes in three or four games and gives the Panthers reason to consider bringing him back as a depth piece.
W Horton
2018 Stats: 1.5 sacks, two tackles for loss, 24 tackles, 42.4 Pro Football Focus Grade (#102 DI)
2017 Stats: 5.5 sacks, three tackles for loss, 16 tackles
Pro Football Focus graded Wes Horton as one of the worst EDGE players in the entire NFL in 2018. Horton is a pending free agent and it seems as if a six-year stint with the Panthers will be coming to an end.
2018 Overall Grade: D
2019 Predictions: The Panthers let Wes Horton walk in free agency and he struggles to find another team to play for.
Bryan Cox Jr.
2018 Stats: Zero sacks, one tackle for loss, 10 tackles, 57.2 Pro Football Focus Grade (Unranked EDGE due to number of snaps)
2017 Stats: Zero sacks, two tackles for loss, six tackles
Bryan Cox Jr. has been a camp body and emergency depth over the last few years for Carolina, but with more talent on its way he may not make the roster in 2019.
2018 Overall Grade: D+
2019 Predictions: Cox is cut in training camp.
Marquis Haynes
2018 Stats: Zero sacks, zero tackles for loss, four tackles, 47.4 Pro Football Focus Grade (Unranked EDGE due to number of snaps)
2017 Stats: N/A Rookie
Haynes will have more of an opportunity to make the roster in 2019 than Cox Jr. based on upside and draft investment alone. The former Ole Miss standout is notably undersized for his position, but could benefit from the Panthers new implementation of a 3-4 scheme mixed in with their base 4-3 defense. If he doesn’t show vast improvement, he will be seeing the door.
2018 Overall Grade: D
2019 Predictions: Haynes improves in the offseason and is one of the final players to make the roster in training camp.
Main Photo:
Embed from Getty Images
