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Who will the Carolina Panthers decide to pencil in at free safety here in 2026? Well, the answer could be in their cornerback room.
On Tuesday, during the first session of the team's mandatory minicamp, third-year corner Chau Smith-Wade was seen taking reps at the safety position. The 2024 fifth-round pick has played primarily out of the slot in the pros, with 626 of his 977 career snaps coming from the inside.
But with the Panthers perhaps looking to upgrade next to starter Tre'von Moehrig, Smith-Wade might be able to provide a little extra punch to the secondary.
"Chau is such a cerebral player," head coach Dave Canales told reporters yesterday afternoon, via Darin Gantt of Panthers.com. "He's a guy we really trust and someone we've trained with our first draft class, and he gives us versatility. He can play the nickel. He's played the safety for us in that position, and to be interchangeable with those positions, you can give different looks. He can also play outside, so he brings a lot to the table, and it's a really competitive DB room.
"And we love that we love that it's bringing out the best in these guys, and the more the guys can bring value and have versatility, it's going to help Chau as we get further and further into camp."
While this could just be a case of cross training, Smith-Wade might have the ball skills the back of the unit is missing. He's recorded an interception in each of his first two NFL campaigns, despite having only made 10 total starts.
The favorite to line up next to Moehrig will be veteran Nick Scott, who started in all 18 games and posted a career-high 111 tackles in 2025. Carolina's safety room also features 2025 fourth-rounder Lathan Ransom, 2026 fifth-rounder Zakee Wheatley and 2020 eighth overall pick Isaiah Simmons.
Follow @ThePanthersWire on Twitter/X for more Panthers content.
This article originally appeared on Panthers Wire: Panthers 2026 minicamp: CB Chau Smith-Wade displays versatility at S
Continue reading...
On Tuesday, during the first session of the team's mandatory minicamp, third-year corner Chau Smith-Wade was seen taking reps at the safety position. The 2024 fifth-round pick has played primarily out of the slot in the pros, with 626 of his 977 career snaps coming from the inside.
But with the Panthers perhaps looking to upgrade next to starter Tre'von Moehrig, Smith-Wade might be able to provide a little extra punch to the secondary.
"Chau is such a cerebral player," head coach Dave Canales told reporters yesterday afternoon, via Darin Gantt of Panthers.com. "He's a guy we really trust and someone we've trained with our first draft class, and he gives us versatility. He can play the nickel. He's played the safety for us in that position, and to be interchangeable with those positions, you can give different looks. He can also play outside, so he brings a lot to the table, and it's a really competitive DB room.
"And we love that we love that it's bringing out the best in these guys, and the more the guys can bring value and have versatility, it's going to help Chau as we get further and further into camp."
While this could just be a case of cross training, Smith-Wade might have the ball skills the back of the unit is missing. He's recorded an interception in each of his first two NFL campaigns, despite having only made 10 total starts.
The favorite to line up next to Moehrig will be veteran Nick Scott, who started in all 18 games and posted a career-high 111 tackles in 2025. Carolina's safety room also features 2025 fourth-rounder Lathan Ransom, 2026 fifth-rounder Zakee Wheatley and 2020 eighth overall pick Isaiah Simmons.
Follow @ThePanthersWire on Twitter/X for more Panthers content.
This article originally appeared on Panthers Wire: Panthers 2026 minicamp: CB Chau Smith-Wade displays versatility at S
Continue reading...
