Panthers vs. Giants stock watch: Shi Smith, Raequan Williams make depth battles interesting

The Panthers aren’t going to lose sleep over their 0-2 start to the preseason.

While the first two showings of the Frank Reich era left a lot to be desired, the Carolina crew is simply trying to evaluate its roster, no matter what the final scoreboard says. So, with two games in the books, including Friday’s 21-19 defeat to the New York Giants in the Meadowlands, the Panthers will look to self-scout and iron out the wrinkles in their exhibition matchups.

As the Panthers evaluate their own, they’ll notice some standouts and some stragglers from the loss to the Giants. The process is ongoing, and the road matchup will factor into who rises and falls on the depth chart.

Here is who saw their stock rise and fall against the Giants:

Stock up

DT Raequan Williams

With Derrick Brown sitting as a healthy scratch, Williams started at nose tackle. Williams, not to be confused with DeShawn Williams, had a couple of nice run fits with the other starters. Also, while running with the second-team defense, Williams picked up a sack for a 9-yard loss. He played the majority of the first half and looked a like a solid rotational presence. The sixth defensive line spot seems to be trending in the Michigan State alum’s direction.

Williams finished the game with three tackles, a sack and two QB hits.

K Matthew Wright

While Wright had a kickoff sail out of bounds for a penalty, he did himself a favor on Friday with his field-goal accuracy. Wright connected on both of his field goal attempts — including a 53-yard strike — against the Giants.

Wright’s two field-goal attempts served as the first six points of the preseason for the Panthers. Wright could be a trade asset if starting kicker Eddy Piñeiro can make it back from a groin injury in time for Week 1.

WR Shi Smith

The Panthers’ wideout depth chart has thinned out over the past couple of weeks. Smith was able to take advantage of heavy playing time during the second half of the exhibition matchup against New York. He caught four passes for 59 yards on Friday.

With five targets, Smith did enough to help himself after an solid summer at Wofford. He might stick around, even after the Panthers added plenty of wideout depth this offseason.

DE LaBryan Ray

Like Williams, Ray is fighting for a spot within the defensive line depth chart. With Henry Anderson (foot) sidelined and Brown getting the night off, Ray got some extra work and took advantage in the first half.

Ray was able to take down Taylor with a violent thud on a sack for an 8-yard loss in the second quarter. Ray was a late arrival to training camp, so showing up in the preseason is paramount for him. Friday was a nice showing for the former Alabama standout.

G Chandler Zavala

Zavala made his preseason debut against the Giants at right guard. Working with the first-team offense, Zavala had an up and down night (including a holding penalty), even as he avoided being part of a rotation.

Zavala had a couple of hiccups in the running game, but still offered up improved pass protection from the first-team trio of last week against the Jets. Zavala should get to run with the right guard baton after a solid but not spectacular performance in his debut at a new position with the starters.

QB Matt Corral

After taking accountability for his performance last week, Corral stepped up and had a solid showing against the Giants. With last week under his belt, Corral admitted in the post-game locker room that he felt more comfortable in his second outing of the preseason. It showed, as Corral looked much more dialed in and accurate.

Corral completed 9 of 13 passes for 71 passing yards. He also led a touchdown-scoring drive.

Stock down

The running game

The Panthers entered the game without starting running back Miles Sanders (groin). Then, Chuba Hubbard suffered an ankle injury after averaging 3.8 yards per carry on 10 eight runs. From there, Spencer Brown and Raheem Blackshear handled an up-and-down slate of carries, as the group struggled to find consistent room between the tackles.

Overall, it wasn’t a great showing on the ground for the running backs or the offensive line. Following the game, Reich called the ground game “a mixed bag,” before acknowledging he needed to watch the tape to truly evaluate what happened.

The Panthers are likely to shelve Sanders and Hubbard for the rest of the preseason, so Blackshear and Brown will get plenty of touches to prove themselves against Detroit next week.

DB Eric Rowe

The veteran defensive back was on the losing end of a major highlight play on Friday. With linebacker Deion Jones barreling into Giants quarterback Tyrod Taylor on a blitz, Rowe got caught looking for the ball as wideout Jalin Hyatt put on the jets and caught a rainbow deep shot from Taylor in the back of the end zone for a touchdown.

It looked like a rookie mistake in coverage. The problem was that Rowe was the veteran and Hyatt was the rookie in this scenario.

RB Camerun Peoples

Even with Sanders sidelined and Hubbard suffering a mid-game injury, undrafted rookie Camerun Peoples has yet to receive a preseason touch. Either the Panthers are hoping to stash Peoples on the practice squad, or the rookie might not be long for Carolina.

Peoples’ lack of usage is made even more peculiar because of his unique size, which seemingly complements the rest of the group. The running backs carried the ball 26 times for 87 rushing yards (3.3 yards per carry) and a touchdown on Friday, and Peoples stood on the sideline all night.