No Norman, no Tillman: So who are the Panthers' cornerbacks?

Last season, the Carolina Panthers finished with a 15-1 mark and made the second Super Bowl appearance in franchise history, losing to the Denver Broncos, 24-10. Those Panthers were carried by an MVP season by quarterback Cam Newton as well as a stellar defense at all three levels. Both starting cornerbacks, Josh Norman and Charles Tillman, were instrumental in shoring up the secondary.

However, both Norman and Tillman are gone this season. Norman is now with the Washington Redskins after getting Carolina's franchise tag pulled, and Tillman was not re-signed. Even Roman Harper left and went back to the Saints after playing a key role last year in Carolina's back end. The Panthers decided not to go after a veteran free agent to take their place and instead will rely on a couple of third-year guys and rookies to take up the slack.

So just who are the Carolina Panthers' cornerbacks this season? Let's take a look.

The Hold-Over

Much of that slack will be heaped onto Bene Benwikere, a third-year corner from San Jose State. Benwikere has primarily been a nickel or dime back for the Panthers. With Tillman signed last season, he stayed in that role and performed very well before breaking his ankle in Week 14 against the Falcons. Benwikere is the most experienced corner the Panthers have, starting 10 games in his first two seasons, and 2016 could be his time to shine.

The Rookies

James Bradberry, Daryl Worley and Zack Sanchez were selected with successive picks in April's draft, and this trio will have every opportunity to get on the field. A second-round pick, Bradberry has good size (6-1) and was one of the top corners heading into the draft. He's a big corner who has long arms that can jam receivers at the line of scrimmage. He may have come from a smaller school in Samford, but he performed in the Senior Bowl to rave reviews from coaches. Perhaps fitting, Bradberry wears Norman's old No. 24 jersey.

Worley earned All-Big 12 honors at West Virginia last year, though some thought his decision to enter the draft was a mistake. He proved the doubters wrong with a spot in the third round and on a team that should get the best out of him. Worley is a ball hawk who tied for seventh in all of FBS last season with six interceptions. Like Bradberry, Worley is 6-1. Both are speedy and have the ability to make big plays. However, both may also need time to bloom into a starting job right now.

The Panthers showed a lot of faith in Worley, packaging picks to move up in the draft to get him, but he does have some off-field flaws. He was suspended for the Cactus Bowl last season due to academic issues and was suspended two games in 2014 for an incident in which he was assaulted a woman at a night club. Worley pleaded no contest and received no jail time, but the video was shown to all NFL teams prior to the draft. The Panthers, already image-conscious, felt comfortable with making the pick.

Sanchez is a bit smaller than the other rookies, but he was a starter for all three of his seasons at Oklahoma. A fifth-round pick out of Oklahoma, he was fifth in the nation in picks with seven.

He's a risk taker who tries to make big plays but could also be susceptible to giving them up as well. As a nickle or dime back, Sanchez will be asked to cover a variety of guys, and that fearlessness, Panthers GM Dave Gettleman believes, will far outweigh the risks.  

The Veterans

The Panthers did sign Leonard Johnson, who started three games last season for the Patriots, for a little extra experience. Johnson, in his fifth season out of Iowa State, played his first three seasons for the Buccaneers and has been a solid rotation guy. He is, though, coming off his own Achilles injury.

Robert McClain, who signed with the Panthers last December due to injuries and actually started in Super Bowl 50, is still on-hand and could end up being a starter. He was cut during preseason last year and sat out most of the season before the Panthers, who originally drafted him, came calling after Benwikere went down in Week 14.

The X-Factors

One advantage the Panthers have is Luke Kuechly's standing as one of the best coverage linebackers in the league. Kuechly's flexibility in Carolina's defensive schemes allow for more aggressive blitz packages as well as secondary coverages. He can stick with tight ends and pick up receivers over the middle as well as provide a sort of zone coverage in the middle of the field. This allows the safeties to stay a bit deeper (or in on blitzes) and help those young corners. Linebacker Thomas Davis is also one of the better coverage linebackers in the NFL.

If you pay attention to how Gettleman has assembled his roster, he likes smart guys who study the game. All of the guys who will be playing cornerback this year fit that description. They may be young, they may be inexperienced and they may make mistakes, but they will be the guys who will learn to not make them again.

At least, Carolina sure hopes so if it wants to repeat as NFC champion.