There’s no doubt about who the top pass rusher for the Carolina Panthers is this year. After spending a decade playing for five different NFL teams, Clowney signed a two-year contract with the Panthers this offseason, potentially worth up to $20 million. He is coming off a strong 2023 season with the Baltimore Ravens, where he matched his career high with 9.5 sacks.
ESPN analyst Mike Clay predicts that Clowney is poised for an even bigger performance in 2024, forecasting that he will record over 12 sacks this season, leading the team. Here are his complete projections for Carolina’s edge rush rotation.
– Jadeveon Clowney: 50 tackles, 12.7 sacks, and 779 snaps
– D.J. Wonnum: 53 stops, 6.6 sacks, and 757 snaps
– K’Lavon Chaisson: 25 tackles, 2.6 sacks, and 357 snaps
– DJ Johnson: 14 tackles, 1.6 sacks, and 216 snaps
– Amare Barno: 4 tackles, 0.5 sacks, 54 snaps
The Panthers would be smart to strive to improve their rotation before Week 1 because it’s a somewhat top-heavy dynamic. Haason Reddick, a former OLB for Carolina who has asked to be traded to the New York Jets, is our strongest trade candidate. While the Jets are in town, it might be worthwhile to look into a possible move even if it wouldn’t be simple to accommodate his contract.
