As was the case almost all of last season, the Carolina Panthers didn't have many positives coming out of their 17-3 loss to the New England Patriots on Thursday night. But we still managed to find a few gems.

Here are the four biggest winners from the preseason opener:

TE Jordan Matthews

The former wideout took a step up in the pecking order without even having to step on the field. Prior to kickoff, the Panthers released fellow tight end Stephen Sullivan from injured reserve—giving Matthews one less competitor on the depth chart.

Matthews, who looked quite slippery at times, proceeded to reel in three passes for a team-high 48 receiving yards.

OLB Eku Leota

Leota may have awaken a few memories of former Panthers do-it-all 'backer Frankie Luvu. In a performance reminiscent of the dearly departed, the second-year defender was all over the field—collecting two tackles for a loss, a quarterback hit and a few pressures.

With Carolina mining for pass-rushing help this summer, Leota shined through early.

CB Lamar Jackson

The Panthers are also hoping to find reliable depth at the cornerback position before the start of the regular season.

Jackson made a case for himself on Thursday night with some sticky coverage, as he notched a pair of impressive pass deflections.

S Alex Cook

Head coach Dave Canales said that you can't replace safety and special teams Sam Franklin Jr., who is expected to miss quite a bit of time with a broken foot. But Cook may beg to differ.

The 25-year-old looked strong in special teams coverage, and even contributed for the defense on the backend. He notched a team-high six tackles on the night.

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This article originally appeared on Panthers Wire: 4 biggest winners from Panthers' preseason loss to Patriots