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Lee Hunter and Three Other Panthers Who Must Step Up for Carolina After Bye Week
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- Lee Hunter and Three Other Panthers Who Must Step Up for Carolina After Bye Week
The Carolina Panthers enjoyed an early bye week this year, getting their break in Week 5. The team leaves the bye week sitting atop the NFC South with a 2-2 record, but the schedule is about to get much tougher.
There have been plenty of performances to get excited about this season. Bryce Young is playing the best ball of his career , new additions Devin Lloyd and Jaelan Phillips have been awesome, and Jalen Coker and Tetairoa McMillan legitimately look like one of the best receiver duos in the league.
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However, there have also been some duds. Today, let's identify four Panthers who need to step it up coming out of the bye.
Lee Hunter
Sep 27, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson (4) scrambles with the ball defended by Carolina Panthers defensive tackle Lee Hunter (92) during the second quarter at Huntington Bank Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images
It's totally fair to be disappointed with what Hunter has provided so far considering he was a second-round pick. The rookie so far has just 11 tackles with no tackles for loss or sacks. Pro Football Focus credits Hunter with just four pressures and gives him an overall grade of 50.4, which ranks 98th out of 133 qualified defensive tackles.
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It doesn't help that a few fellow defensive linemen have also been disappointing. It's clear, though, that the team was expecting more out of Hunter than they've gotten so far.
Luke Fortner
Luke Fortner was brought in this offseason to replace Cade Mayes. The hope was that Fortner would be a solid one-year stopgap, but instead, he's been one of the worst centers in the league.
Fortner has earned a 49.5 Pro Football Focus grade, which ranks 30th out of 34 centers. Fortner's pass blocking grade is even worse, at 38.9, which ranks 32nd in the league. Fortner has allowed a whopping 15 pressures and three sacks already. If he doesn't turn it around soon, he'll be replaced by rookie Sam Hecht .
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Derrick Brown
Sep 13, 2026; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams (18) throws while pressured by Carolina Panthers defensive tackle Derrick Brown (95) in the third quarter at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images
Derrick Brown has long been thought of as one of the better defensive tackles in the league. The veteran has a Pro Bowl selection on his resume, and a 100+ tackle season, which is very rare for a lineman.
However, Brown has not played anywhere near that level in 2026. The veteran has 11 tackles and three pass breakups, with no sacks or tackles for loss. Brown has a mediocre 61.3 PFF grade , which ranks 57th out of 133 linemen. In other words, Brown hasn't been bad, but the Panthers need him to be a difference-maker.
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Akayleb Evans
In Week 4, Akayleb Evans genuinely had one of the worst performances you'll see from an NFL corner. To be fair, Evans has mostly played on special teams, so he wasn't put in the best position to succeed, but nobody though it would go that poorly.
The Panthers haven't made a move yet , so with Mike Jackson and Jaycee Horn out, Evans will likely remain a starter for the next few weeks. The Panthers cannot see Evans put forth another performance like the one he had in Week 4. Evans has to be serviceable until the Panthers get some help back.
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This story was originally published by Athlon on Oct 14, 2026, where it first appeared in the NFL section. Add Athlon as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
