6 free-agent CBs who could fill the Panthers' need at nickel
· Yahoo Sports
Has any team hunted down their needs through free agency like the Carolina Panthers have?
Their loud week began with a bang on Monday—when they sniped one of the market's very best pass rushers in the afternoon and, arguably, the top inside linebacker later that night. Then the hits kept on coming, with a starting-caliber center to replace the departed Cade Mays and a high-end insurance policy at left tackle for the injured Ikem Ekwonu.
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But there is one last glaring weakness that still might need a solution.
Here are six remaining free agents who could fill the Panthers' void at nickel cornerback:
Artie Burns
Burns missed the entire 2025 campaign after tearing his ACL on the first day of training camp with the Miami Dolphins. But the former first-round pick gave a pretty nice account of himself in his last run of regular-season action, which saw him play all 37 of his coverage snaps from the slot as a member of the Seattle Seahawks.
Pro Football Focus graded Burns at an 88.6 overall and an 89.6 in coverage in 2024. He was also solid over 232 total snaps in 2023, where he earned a 66.5 and a 66.6 for those categories, respectively.
Mike Hilton
A few days after Burns' season-ending injury, the Dolphins signed Hilton to help man the space. Miami would later release the 32-year-old veteran, who eventually landed with the Indianapolis Colts for 2025.
While Hilton wasn't utilized much by Indy, appearing in just four games, his quality work as Cincinnati's starting slot corner between 2021 and 2024 is certainly worth keeping in mind.
Darnay Holmes
Holmes, a fourth-round pick of the New York Giants from 2020, has started in just 12 of his 83 pro appearances. So he wouldn't be a definite upgrade in Carolina over their current starter in Chau Smith-Wade.
He does, however, bring a bit of experience as nickel—with 1,590 of his 1,955 snaps coming from the inside. Perhaps the 27-year-old would elevate the floor of the position and compete for a roster spot through the summer.
Avonte Maddox
The 29-year-old Maddox is a battle-tested defensive back. He played seven seasons for the Philadelphia Eagles, one of which ended in a Super Bowl LIX win, and one (2025) for the Detroit Lions.
And that one in his hometown of Detroit may have been his most efficient yet, as PFF marked him down with career-highs in overall defense (79.1) and coverage (75.0).
Arthur Maulet
Maulet, Maddox's teammate in 2025, also knows how it is to play on a postseason contender—with stops for the Lions, Baltimore Ravens (2023 to 2024) and Pittsburgh Steelers (2021 to 2022).
He hasn't been a starting nickel since 2023, when he earned a career-best 68.6 grade from PFF.
Nick McCloud
McCloud played a career-high 205 snaps from the slot, for the Chicago Bears, in 2025.
The 6-foot-1, 190-pounder also possesses the size and versatility to kick to the outside if needed.
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This article originally appeared on Panthers Wire: NFL free agency: 6 remaining nickel CB options for the Panthers