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Carolina Panthers: Five Possibilities At Number Eight

By John Woodcock

Mar 1, 2017; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Carolina Panters general manager Dave Gettleman speaks to the media during the 2017 NFL Combine at the Indiana Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 1, 2017; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Carolina Panters general manager Dave Gettleman speaks to the media during the 2017 NFL Combine at the Indiana Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports /
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Dec 30, 2016; El Paso, TX, USA; Stanford Cardinal defensive lineman Solomon Thomas (90) celebrates with head coach David Shaw (L) after defeating the North Carolina Tar Heels 25-23 at Sun Bowl Stadium. Thomas was named MVP of the game. Mandatory Credit: Ivan Pierre Aguirre-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 30, 2016; El Paso, TX, USA; Stanford Cardinal defensive lineman Solomon Thomas (90) celebrates with head coach David Shaw (L) after defeating the North Carolina Tar Heels 25-23 at Sun Bowl Stadium. Thomas was named MVP of the game. Mandatory Credit: Ivan Pierre Aguirre-USA TODAY Sports /
  1. Solomon Thomas, DE, Stanford
Carolina Panthers
Carolina Panthers /

Carolina Panthers

Perhaps you were thinking that the Panthers were set at defensive end with the signing of Julius Peppers and the resigning of Charles Johnson, Mario Addison, and Wes Horton. Then you are forgetting how cutthroat the league is and how expendable Horton has been over the years.

My experience with Thomas dates to a single game, the 2016 Sun Bowl. There I watched Thomas eat up a veteran if undermanned offensive line to decide that game with key sacks and tackles. I had not seen a defender change the game by himself so much since Peppers. I was sold at that point.

The problem is that everybody became sold at that point. Now, there is not much chance that Thomas lasts until the eighth pick. However the right amount of quarterbacks going off the board and the Jaguars doing something strange and it could conceivably happen.

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