Who is the Panthers' Most Underappreciated Player?

CBS Sports gives an interesting opinion on the Panthers' young corner.

Who is the one player on the Carolina Panthers' roster that doesn't get enough love? According to CBS Sports' Jeff Kerr, cornerback Jaycee Horn is the team's most underappreciated player.

"Another player on a rookie deal, the Panthers receive excellent value for a player of Horn's caliber. Horn allowed just a 35.8 passer rating in coverage last season, with no touchdowns and three interceptions. He was only targeted 51 times last year, a definition of a shutdown corner when he's on the field.

"In the third year of his rookie contract, Horn's cap number for 2023 is $5,757,858. Whether Horn is on the field or not, that's excellent value for the Panthers -- especially since he's already one of the better cover corners in the game."

I do agree that nationally, Horn doesn't he the respect he deserves. 

However, I would make the argument that linebacker Shaq Thompson better fits the description of "most underappreciated player." The leadership he brings to the table is invaluable. He knows what buttons to push with certain guys on the defense to motivate them, teach them, encourage them, etc. In addition to that, he's still a pretty rock solid linebacker. 

When most people talk about the Panthers' defense, they bring up Brian Burns, Jaycee Horn, Jeremy Chinn, and Derrick Brown. But Shaq Thompson is every bit as important to the unit as the others, even if he's not considered as one of the top players at his position.

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