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Carolina Panthers make their biggest move of the draft in adding DT Cam Jackson

General manager Dan Morgan continues to add talent to the league’s worst defense in 2024. The latest addition brings significant size to the Panthers’ front.
Russell Baxter|
Nov 23, 2024; Gainesville, Florida, USA; Florida Gators defensive lineman Cam Jackson (99) celebrates after a sack against the Mississippi Rebels during the first half at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images
Nov 23, 2024; Gainesville, Florida, USA; Florida Gators defensive lineman Cam Jackson (99) celebrates after a sack against the Mississippi Rebels during the first half at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images | Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images

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Carolina Panthers

It goes without saying just how bad the Carolina Panthers’ defense was this past season. There are plenty of negative numbers, and one of the biggest flaws was allowing an NFL-worst 179.8 yards per game on the ground. Coordinator Ejiro Evero’s unit gave up at least 100 yards rushing in all but one game. That was in a Week 3 win over the Raiders, a team that ran for the fewest yards in the league in 2024.

This offseason, GM Dan Morgan signed some big bodies in veterans Bobby Brown III and Tershawn Wharton to plug the middle. On Saturday afternoon, they used the 140th overall pick on a 6’6”, 328-pound performer from the University of Florida.

Here’s the skinny on defensive tackle Cam Jackson from NFL.com draft analyst Lance Zierlein. “Massive nose tackle whose lack of productivity belies his potential to imprint on NFL games as a run defender. Jackson is a complete non-factor as a rusher, so his spot on a draft board will be relative to a team’s willingness to take a two-down player in need of polish. He’s long and plays with extremely heavy hands and an ability to overwhelm single blockers at times.

“When he’s allowed to swap paint and focus on smaller areas of containment, he’s a tough out. He gets knocked off his spot more than he should, but better block take-on and technique should create better consistency. Jackson has freakish size and is a more enticing prospect when tape flashes are prioritized in the evaluation process.

That first sentence by Zierlein speaks volumes. Carolina surrendered at least 200 yards on the ground in each of their final seven games. Jackson can’t get on the field fast enough.

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Russell Baxter
RUSSELL BAXTER

Russell S. Baxter has been writing and researching the game of football for more than 40 years, and on numerous platforms. That includes television, as he spent more than two decades at ESPN, and was part of shows that garnered five Emmy Awards. He also spent the 2015 NFL season with Thursday Night Football on CBS/NFLN.