We’re well into July now, which means we don’t have much longer before the Panthers make their yearly trip to Spartanburg for training camp. We still have a little over two months before the kickoff of the regular season, so let’s take a look at No. 66 on the roster: guard Mike Horton.
Horton was signed by the Panthers as an undrafted free agent following the 2020 NFL Draft. He spent most of last season on the practice squad, though he did get promoted to the active roster a couple times in October. He spent his college years playing at Auburn, where he started at right guard as a fifth year senior, netting an SEC Offensive Lineman of the Week award in the process. He spent some time at left guard earlier in his career with the Tigers and was named to the SEC Academic Honor Roll multiple times.
Though he has yet to see any NFL snaps, the coaching staff clearly saw enough in Horton on the practice squad last year to sign him to a futures contract after the season. The Panthers spent some draft capital and free agent money on the guard position in the offseason, so Horton has an uphill battle to make the team. It wouldn’t surprise me to see the 6-foot-4, 325 pounder get put on the practice squad again this season.