Five Possibilities for the Panthers First Round Pick
The Carolina Panthers hold the No. 7 overall pick in this year's NFL Draft. With a new coaching staff and swirling rumors about Cam Newton, James Bradberry and others, this makes for an unpredictable draft weekend in April. However, we take a look at five guys that could find their way to the Queen City when it's all said and done.
*Note the Panther Maven Mock Draft 4.0 will release this Sunday*
DL Derrick Brown (Auburn)
The Panthers are set to press the reboot button on the defensive line with Gerald McCoy, Mario Addison, Dontari Poe and Bruce Irvin all looking as if they will be playing in a new uniform in 2020.
The Draft Network has very high praise for Brown and sees the potential of him becoming a star in the middle of an NFL defense.
"Hands are precise. Lands powerful blows to offset forward push with good timing and placement. Little issue with pressing and extending his arms to establish stack of blocks before tossing or discarding blockers to uncover into desired gap and challenge the football.
Thanks to his quickness he can be very potent in trying to shoot gaps, plus you tack on his functional balance and you'd better have quick feet to set up in front of him. Strong rip move and surface reduction to "get skinny" and slip through A-gaps when he's asked to do so.
Surreal motor for a player of his stature. He's an absolute load in the middle, a heavyweight who wins positioning and is constantly playing on the plus side of the line of scrimmage. The only times he's bubbled is when he gets caught up in a huddled mess of traffic from a lot of bodies on the interior."
Needless to say, the Panthers are going to take a long, hard look at Brown with the seventh pick. They need immediate help on the interior of the defensive line and Brown has the ability to step in day one and make an impact.
LB Isaiah Simmons (Clemson)
The guy that is considered as the prohibited favorite by Panther Maven as Carolina's first round pick is a can't miss prospect. His versatility is what makes him so valuable. He can line up as an edge rusher, outside linebacker, inside linebacker, can cover the slot and even safety as well.
As a redshirt junior, Simmons took charge of the Tigers defense and flew all over the field, making plays in every level of the defense. He ended the year with 104 tackles, 16.5 tackles for loss and eight sacks. With Luke Kuechly no longer in service, the Panthers need to do due diligence in finding a replacement. Current Panther linebacker Shaq Thompson is figured to be a candidate, but he doesn't seem like a guy that will move to the inside full-time.
Expect Simmons to continue to rise up draft charts and if that's the case, he'll likely be off the board by the time Carolina is on the clock.
CB Jeff Okudah (Ohio State)
With the uncertainty surrounding James Bradberry, the Panthers could be looking at rebuilding their secondary with a lock down guy such as Jeff Okudah. If you look at his stats while at Ohio State, nothing really jumps off the page, but don't always fall in love with the numbers. He recorded only three interceptions during his three years in Columbus, but that's because teams feared throwing in his general direction. He has an aggressive style to his coverage and rarely gets beat. Okudah possesses all of the tools needed to become a successful NFL corner, but will be challenged by NFC South rivals - who have an abundance of big time threats at the receiver position.
Carolina could still resign Bradberry and put him opposite of Okudah, which would make for a tough secondary to crack.
OT Tristan Wirfs (Iowa)
As the Panthers plan to "move forward" with Cam Newton as the starting quarterback, an offensive lineman may be in play in the first round. Carolina ranked dead last in the NFL in 2019 in sacks allowed per game and were a big reason why the offense had so many issues, despite Newton going down. Matt Rhule expressed that getting Newton healthy was a main priority and if that is the case, the Panthers must improve their pass protection. Wirfs has seen his stock steadily climb and with him creeping into a top ten projection, Carolina could snag their anchor on the line with the seventh pick. If Wirfs has a good combine and pro day, he could potentially work his way up to being the first tackle taken off of the board.
DL Javon Kinlaw (South Carolina)
Once again, we revisit the defensive line situation with a rising prospect, Javon Kinlaw. For an interior lineman, he has light feet and consistently jumps the snap with great timing. His main role will be to help out in stopping the run, but he also has the ability to become a solid pass rusher up the middle. Kinlaw is very raw and still has some aspects of his game that aren't fully developed, but there's no questioning his motor and his passion for the game. His strong work ethic has shot him up draft boards and will likely be a top ten pick, should he impress during workouts and meetings.
You can follow us for future coverage by clicking "Follow" on the top righthand corner of the page. Also be sure to like us on Facebook & Twitter:
Facebook - @PanthersOnSI
Twitter - @SI_Panthers and Schuyler Callihan at @Callihan_
