CHARLOTTE — The Panthers signed Patrick Jones II for his ability to sack quarterbacks, to get upfield and pressure the pocket.

Thursday, he showed his ability to drop back in coverage and make a different kind of play.

Jones picked off quarterback Bryce Young, fading back into the route and making an impressive hands-catch, the kind of play that made Dave Canales' eyes light up when asked about it, and say "Yeah!"

"It was just great vision," Canales said. "Quarterback intentions, he's in that bonus hook area like he does, and he kind of dropped back, got to his spot, and got vision on the quarterback. That's the veteran play in his game right now that a lot of the other guys are gonna be able to see, get to your spot and see where the quarterback's eyes are taking you, and, so he did it beautifully and of course he's 6-5, and I didn't know he could catch like that.

"So that was, that was an amazing play."

It wasn't perfect because tight end Ja'Tavion Sanders got in at the end and stripped the ball away. The defense didn't mind, as the celebration had already started (and he might have been out of bounds at that point anyway).

But it was still impressive, and part of what they hope to see from Jones this year.

Last year with the Vikings, Jones had 7.0 sacks and a forced fumble, along with 12 quarterback hits and nine tackles for loss.

Combined with the effort he shows — and his freakish weight room strength, this man squats 675 pounds — the Panthers were obviously eager to bring him here on the first day of free agency.

The fact that he's taken an active role in mentoring draft picks Nic Scourton and Princely Umanmielen just adds to it.

"Effort, strain, first and foremost, we preach rolling off the ball, setting edges in the run game, transitioning to your pass rush and, just being able to play that stout type of defense," Canales rattled off when asked what caught their eye about Jones. "And watching his film from last year, generating, I forget what it was (7.0) sacks or something like that. But just the way that he did it with strain, the physical way that he chased the ball on the backside, played out on the front side it's what we're looking for.

"And so a great addition, a great pro."