The most underrated NFL team from every division in 2022

Most underrated NFL team in the NFC South: Carolina Panthers

I think a lot of people will look at sleeper teams in the NFC South and automatically pick the New Orleans Saints. The Saints do have a lot going for them, including a revamped wide receiver room with a healthy Michael Thomas. There are two primary reasons for the Saints not getting picked over the Carolina Panthers as the NFC South’s most underrated team, though.

1. I’m not overly confident in Jameis Winston
2. Sean Payton is gone

One of those factors is purely subjective, but Jameis Winston hasn’t done a lot in his NFL career to inspire a lot of confidence either.

I have more faith in Baker Mayfield, which may sound hypocritical based on my stance on Jameis Winston, but Baker has had better success more recently than Winston, whose hot start to the 2021 season could have just as easily been a mirage as anything else.

To be fair, there’s not really a perfect candidate in the NFC South. While I like the Panthers’ roster overall — especially if they are fully healthy on both sides of the ball — I am not confident in their coaching staff led by Matt Rhule.

It just feels a bit like Rhule might have one eye on college football as his NFL career hangs in the balance.

With that being said, I have the Panthers as the most underrated NFC South team strictly due to their roster right now. There’s a lot of young talent here and general manager Scott Fitterer has made some big swings for the fences the last couple of years. It’s hard not to like the potential of an offensive unit that includes Mayfield, Christian McCaffrey, DJ Moore, and role players like Robbie Anderson, Terrace Marshall, Rashard Higgins, and tight ends Ian Thomas and Tommy Tremble.

There’s plenty to like on this Panthers’ roster if all of these guys play up to their potential and stay healthy.