Panthers UDFA darling one of 10 worthy of praise from insider

Last year, the Carolina Panthers had a standout undrafted free agent in Jalen Coker. He started the year on the practice squad, eventually getting added to the roster. He took that and never looked back, sometimes looking like the best wide receiver on the team.

Therefore, Carolina knows the value of having those players who didn't get drafted, and through one preseason game, it looks as if the Panthers might've found another gem after round seven in Corey Thornton, who got a shoutout from one NFL analyst after Week 1 of the preseason.

Corey Thornton among UDFAs making noise early in preseason

Corey Thornton was pretty much lockdown last Friday, even shutting down former Panthers wide receiver Diontae Johnson on a route. He looked the part of someone who is going to make the 53-man roster. It made Thornton one of 10 UDFAs who are worthy of praise right now.

"Thornton had made some plays during training camp and carried that momentum into the preseason opener against Cleveland. He was aggressive playing downhill in run support," CBS insider Josh Edwards wrote. The TD Thornton gave up was great coverage, but Shedeur Sanders placed the ball perfectly so a diving Thornton couldn't quite tip it.

"The Louisville product, by way of UCF, had five interceptions over his final two collegiate seasons. With a cornerback room even more bereft of talent following a car accident involving Jaycee Horn, Thornton has put his name in strong contention," he added.

It was a bit of a surprise to see Thornton go undrafted in all seven rounds, but the Panthers quickly jumped on that and signed him. They needed cornerback depth even before Jaycee Horn suffered a hand injury (he's not likely to miss any real time, though), so Thornton had a path to the roster.

He still had to earn it over several other NFL hopefuls and those who are on the fringe of the 53-man roster, which he so far has. In practice on Tuesday, he was all over the field, making plays on virtually every receiver he covered. The Panthers might have genuinely found a steal in Thornton.

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