Carolina Panthers: Looking at One Version of 1st Three Rounds

Let’s examine one interpretation of the Carolina Panthers upcoming NFL Draft.

The NFL Draft is looming as the next big event for the Carolina Panthers. They already have Sam Mills, Jr. at the Senior Bowl practices helping coach. We spent a little time looking at the draft, mostly whether the Panthers should draft the best player or look at positional need in the first round. A mock drafter at NFL.com, Chad Reuter, went a step further and looked at the first three rounds (four Panthers picks).

So after our brief defensive ends versus running backs debate, where did Reuter slot the Panthers in his league wide mock draft?

Round 1 Pick 8 – Leonard Fournette, RB, LSU

I think there is something to be said for not overthinking things. Reuter has the Panthers taking the big running back here and, incidentally, the best player on the board when the Panthers pick. College football analysts have been salivating over this guy for three years and made him a Heisman frontrunner as often as they could.

Fournette is a big back with speed. He also has nifty feet. Like Cam Newton, he is a load to take down in the open field. If the Panthers had a better offensive line, this would be the perfect place for him. A running back tandem of Fournette and Jonathan Stewart would prevent defenses from resting in early downs and hopefully keep Newton from getting hit as much.

A Fournette pick would be much in the tradition of the Luke Kuechly pick and even the Jonathan Stewart pick from their respective drafts. There were bigger needs elsewhere but the sheer talent and fit made the decision.

Round 2 Pick 40 – DeMarcus Walker, DE, FSU

Given the next two picks, maybe Dalvin Cook would have been a more appropriate first pick. Reuter has the Panthers taking two Seminoles in the second and third rounds. This is where he believes the Panthers will answer their defensive end questions.

Walker is 6’4” and 280 lbs. He fits the body type of the every down defensive end. He also has a diverse skill set. This is shown by the two best games that he played this year, Ole Miss and Clemson. Against Ole Miss, Walker terrorized quarterback Chad Kelly for four and half sacks, one of those being a forced fumble.

Against the future national champions, Walker made his living stopping the run. He collected ten tackles over the course of the game.

Round 3 Pick 72 – Roderick Johnson, T, FSU

The Panthers would move to fill their tackle concern in the third round with Johnson. Johnson is 6’7” 311 lbs, so he has that part taken care of. He also is the two time winner of the Jacobs Trophy, awarded to the ACC’s best blocker.

Round 3 Pick 99 (Projected Compensatory Selection – Josh Norman) – Cameron Sutton, CB, Tennessee

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This is where Reuter loses me a little bit. The Panthers have younger cornerbacks. Arguably they could use a better nickel back if Leonard Johnson walks in free agency or an upgrade if he stayed. However would that not be the place to deploy a veteran?

Sutton played only seven games last year and it is therefore hard to assess where he is right now. This is nothing really against him, I would disapprove of most cornerbacks the Panthers take in this particular draft.

Next: Panthers Needs in the Secondary

It is fair to point out that this is something of a luxury pick since the Panthers went RB, DE, OL in the first three picks. That marks their big needs. So perhaps anything could go at this spot and Sutton would make as much sense as anyone else.

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