Cat Scratch Reader
Hello CSR! We’re only 26 Days away from the start of the Panthers 2025 regular season! To celebrate another day off the countdown, I’m going to talk to you about #26 for the Panthers; cornerback Chau Smith-Wade.
CSW as he’s known by many fans, joined the Carolina Panthers as the 157th overall pick in the 5th round of the 2024 NFL Draft. The former Washington State Cougar played in 14 games with 4 starts as a rookie, logging 39 total tackles, 1 pass deflection, 1 forced fumble, and 1 interception. He also logged 144 snaps as a special teamer (all stats via Pro Football Reference). That’s a pretty solid rookie year for a 5th round pick, as Smith-Wade ended up contributing just about everywhere he could for the Panthers.
Going into 2025, Smith-Wade figures to be heavily involved as part of the starting defense. The coaches have raved about him all Offseason, and he should see a ton of time as the nickel corner for Ejiro Evero. We’ll see if he can continue that momentum, but as a contributor at a position of relative weakness depth-wise, Smith-Wade should get every opportunity to show he was a gem of a late round pick in 2024. Let me know your thoughts on CSW below, and KEEP POUNDING!
