Carolina Panthers: Pass rush ranked too low by Pro Football Focus
In a recent ranking by Pro Football Focus, the Carolina Panthers’ defensive line was ranked 21st in the NFL.
Over the years, the team has seen a number of defensive coordinators leave for other opportunities but through all those changes the one thing that has stayed consistent for the Carolina Panthers has been their ability to get after the quarterback. This past season, the Panthers finished third in the NFL with 50 sacks.
However, this production didn’t help this defensive line in recent rankings by Pro Football Focus that ranked the Panthers 22nd in the NFL.
"22. CAROLINA PANTHERSPROJECTED STARTING LINEUP:Edge Defender: Mario Addison, 80.6 overall gradeDefensive Interior: Kawann Short, 91.2Defensive Interior: Dontari Poe, 81.5Edge Defender: Julius Peppers, 73.8Key Rotational Player: Vernon Butler, 75.2Pressure Percentage as a team, 2017: 37.6% (9th)Peppers produced 13 sacks in 2017, but just 31 total pressures. If our analytics department have taught me one thing, it’s that sacks don’t predict future sacks, and that pressures are a much bigger indicator of future sacks. With that in mind, don’t be surprised to see Peppers sack total dip significantly in 2018. Carolina’s top pass-rushers heading into the 2018 season are Addison off the edge, who has produced more than 50 total pressures in each of the past two seasons and Short on the interior, as he has been responsible for at least 49 total pressures in each of the past three seasons."
The fact that the Panthers were ranked this low was surprising to say the least. There is certainly questions about the age of this group as Julius Peppers is 38 and Mario Addison will be turning 31 at the start of the year. However, both of these players had 11 sacks a season ago and while PFF expects Peppers production to dip significantly, he has had at least seven sacks every year since 2007.
The one area that sets this defensive line apart, and should give them an advantage over most NFL teams, is they have one of the premier pass rushers at defensive tackle with Kawann Short. The six-year veteran has had 24.5 sacks over the past three years and earned a trip to the Pro Bowl in 2015.
The team also replaced Star Lotulelei, who wasn’t a great pass rusher, with Dontari Poe. The veteran tackle isn’t great in this area but is an upgrade over Lotulelei.
The wildcard for the Panthers, and one that would help them skyrocket up these rankings, is if Vernon Butler is able to develop into the disruptive force the team thought he could be when they drafted him in the first round.
There is no question that Butler has been a disappointment to this point in his career but he has incredible athleticism and quickness for a tackle. These type of physical traits would seemingly be perfect for a tackle to generate consistent pressure on the opposing quarterback.
Next: Carolina Panthers: Key stats they will need to improve in 2018
Only time will tell what this defensive line will look like in 2018, however the Carolina Panthers would appear to be in good position to finish in the Top 3 in sacks for the third consecutive year.