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Carolina Panthers cornerback Corey Thornton, left, starred at Louisville but went undrafted.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Scanning down the line of scrimmage at Cleveland Browns rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders taking a snap, Carolina Panthers rookie Corey Thornton identified a reverse sweep and worked his way around a block. After cradling a handoff, Kaden Davis attempted to turn upfield. The Browns’ wide receiver didn’t have a chance.
Positioned for a takedown, Thornton wrapped up the airborne Davis and body-slammed him down on the Bank of America Stadium turf with authority and a 2-yard loss.
The highlight was one of a series of standout plays Thornton executed during the Panthers’ preseason opener August 8. Starting in place of Jaycee Horn, who was sidelined following a traffic accident, Thornton finished with four solo tackles and one pass defended.
An offseason program standout, Thornton carried his momentum into training camp and the exhibition season. The versatile defender remains listed as the team’s fourth cornerback behind Horn, one of the top players in the league, Mike Jackson Sr. and Chau Smith-Wade.
At 6-foot-1, 190-pounder, Thornton started at nickelback against the visiting Pittsburgh Steelers in the preseason finale August 21. He continued to impress and paved a way to a spot on the Panthers’ initial 53-man roster.
Corey Thornton Making Most of NFL Opportunity
Wide receiver Xavier Legette experienced Thornton’s developing talents firsthand. During passing drills over the summer, Legette often struggled to work his way open when facing the former Louisville standout.
“He been doin’ his thing,” Legette said. “Every time I go up against him, I tell him, ‘I like what you’re doin’.’”
Sometimes, players participating in offseason training activities (OTAs) can get testy, challenged by the Carolina heat and the stress of attempting to impress the coaching staff. Thornton proved up to the challenge, aggressively attacking an opportunity to move up the depth chart. He did so graciously.
“Sometimes, he’ll try to be like, ‘Hey, my bad,’ ” Legette said. “I’m like, ‘You good, we playin’ ball, man. As long as you go hard, you gon’ make me better.’ “He’s one of the main guys that (has) been sticking out to me.”
Overlooked during the NFL Draft last April, Thornton rebounded by accepting a prized UDFA deal, signing a $140,000 fully guaranteed contract.
With Horn inking a four-year, $100 million contract extension and Jackson agreeing to a two-year, $14.5 million deal last offseason, the Panthers project to field one of the NFC’s top CB duos. Positional depth was missing, though.
Enter Thornton.
Beginning with rookie minicamp in May, Thornton, who played at Central Florida for four seasons, continued to “pop” when the staff reviewed practice film.
“He puts himself in good position,” Canales said. “Whether it’s a tackle or whether it’s making a play on the ball. (Jonathan) Cooley’s done a great job teaching him technique, footwork, and all that. He’s taking the coaching, he’s a natural football player, and then he shows up physical in those moments, so that was really exciting to see.”
Thornton’s Rise Gives Carolina Panthers’ ‘D’ Depth
With Thornton’s size and playmaking abilities – he picked off two passes and defended nine passes with Louisville in 2024 – defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero envisions Thornton earning rotational snaps at CB and nickel when the Panthers open the regular season September 7 at the Jacksonville Jaguars.
In three exhibition appearances (two starts), Thornton allowed six receptions for 48 yards during 11 targets, according to Pro Football Focus.
Evero explained how he discovered Thornton’s “superpower.”
“He’s in early and he’s working on his body, he’s meeting extra and watching film and he’s doing everything he needs to do to be successful,” Evero said. “I think that reflects in his play, and so, yeah, I mean, it’s just a matter of taking advantage of his opportunities. He’s a very good skill learner.
“When you teach him a technique or skill, he can apply it very easily, and for a lot of guys, it might take them time to develop those skills. You can tell him something and right away, he can apply it, so I think that’s kind of where his superpower is.”
Will it help the Panthers’ injury-plagued defense, which surrendered an all-time-worst 534 points last season?
Thornton stands prepared to hogtie the opportunity.
Jeff Hawkins Jeff Hawkins is a career sportswriter who has collected 12 industry awards, including two Associated Press Sports Editors (APSE) honors. Author of four youth sports books, Hawkins has served as a beat writer for the Carolina Panthers, Chicago Blackhawks, Adirondack IceHawks, Adirondack Lumberjacks and Hickory Crawdads. A husband and father, Hawkins enjoys live eclectic music, mountain biking and watching Film Noir. More about Jeff Hawkins
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