Panthers' former fourth-round pick may be one of the most underrated players in the league

For what was a lost season, Carolina Panthers running back Chuba Hubbard was a bright spot. 

He ran for 902 yards and five touchdowns in 17 games played. Hubbard also managed to outwork Miles Sanders, who was the Panthers' splashy offseason signing. 

Recently, NFL.com's Maurice Jones-Drew ranked all 72 of the starting running backs in the league, and the Panthers' lead back came out in the top half of the list. 

Take a look at what Jones-Drew had to say about Hubbard: 

"Hubbard went from backup to supplanting Miles Sanders as the Panthers’ RB1 in October, ultimately leading the team in carries and rushing yards and rushing touchdowns. The third-year pro was a bright spot in an otherwise-disappointing offense, and he should be excited about the addition of head coach Dave Canales for 2024."

Hubbard outranked running backs like Josh Jacobs, who had a monster season in 2022, Aaron Jones, and Alvin Kamara. 

Even more impressive was Hubbard's ability to outperform his contract. As the Panthers' No. 1 back, Hubbard's $1.2 million cap hit in 2024 makes him one of the league's most cost-effective runners. 

With a new offensive head coach, there will be a change in the schematic plan. However, that doesn't guarantee bad news for Hubbard. He has already proven adaptable, playing under former Panthers head coaches Steve Wilks and Matt Rhule. His ability to find running lanes despite the team's on-field struggles continues to stand out about the Panthers' former fourth-round pick. 

Simply: Hubbard is a workhorse the NFL continues to undervalue at a ridiculous rate.