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Carolina Panthers Mock Draft: Week 17 Edition

By Christian Candeloro

ARLINGTON, TX - APRIL 26: A video board displays the text "THE PICK IS IN" for the Carolina Panthers during the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft at AT&T Stadium on April 26, 2018 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
ARLINGTON, TX - APRIL 26: A video board displays the text "THE PICK IS IN" for the Carolina Panthers during the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft at AT&T Stadium on April 26, 2018 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images) /
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Round 7, Pick 199: LB Baron Browning – Ohio State

PASADENA, CA – JANUARY 01: Baron Browning #5 of the Ohio State Buckeyes turns the corner on JoJo McIntosh #14 of the Washington Huskies during the first half in the Rose Bowl Game presented by Northwestern Mutual at the Rose Bowl on January 1, 2019 in Pasadena, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
PASADENA, CA – JANUARY 01: Baron Browning #5 of the Ohio State Buckeyes turns the corner on JoJo McIntosh #14 of the Washington Huskies during the first half in the Rose Bowl Game presented by Northwestern Mutual at the Rose Bowl on January 1, 2019 in Pasadena, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) /

In the 7th round of the NFL Draft, you aren’t going to get a surefire prospect without red flags. There are undersized, medically questionable, or guys with character issues still available. Some came out too early, some are at the end of the round.

In this spot, I’m looking for a guy that is elite at one specific trait. Something that he could potentially build a career off as a role player in the NFL.

Surveying the remaining options, that guy just happens to be Baron Browning, someone who has underachieved with Ohio State.

Browning probably would benefit from returning to Ohio State for his senior season but he has finally started to show some production that matches his athletic freakiness. Browning has 10 tackles for loss and four sacks this season, a step up for a former five-star prospect that has elite size and speed. He’s fast enough to run with NFL receivers and big enough to take on an offensive lineman.

Yet at the end of the day, his production and football IQ just don’t match his athleticism. Either way, we’ll take a shot on him here, especially because if his production catches up during his senior year (if he returns), you could see him vault into the top three rounds.

Scout’s Take

"Coming out of high school ranked as a five-star linebacker recruit, Baron Browning has always had the promise of a top talent. At 6’3, 232, he reportedly ran a 4.56 in the 40-yard dash and jumped 37.5” in the vertical. Those numbers, alone, at the position are elite, and he put those marks up at age 17. But Browning is playing like a much different player as a junior. He’s playing with so much more confidence in his ability to read and react, get to his spots, and finish at the point of attack. It has earned him a full-time starting job in Greg Mattison’s defense, and he’s taking full advantage of it — showing exactly why he was one of the nation’s best coming out of high school. The bottom line is that Browning is finally starting to channel the talent that he’s always had promise of, and it’s scary to think that he has so much more room to grow still."

Also Available

WR Denzel Mims (Baylor), RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire (LSU), WR J.D. Spielman (Nebraska)

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