Mel Kiper Jr. Projects a New Name to the Panthers in Latest Mock Draft

The Carolina Panthers currently hold the sixth overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. By the time draft night comes around, they may decide to trade back in the first round to gain extra picks and the moves they made in free agency will allow them to do so.

With the only obvious need being a quarterback, the Panthers are in a tough spot. They missed out on Deshaun Watson and several other veteran quarterbacks who have new homes. Their options now are to roll with Sam Darnold, bring back Cam Newton, draft a quarterback, or a mixture of a rookie and a veteran.

The feeling around the league is that no quarterback in this year's draft class is worth a top 10 pick, so if the Panthers decide to go with Pitt's Kenny Pickett or Liberty's Malik Willis it will be considered a reach by most. However, when a team is desperate enough, such moves are liable to happen.

The smart thing for Carolina to do is to draft the best player available or trade back. You can't force something when you have the sixth pick in the draft. That pick has to be a cornerstone of the franchise for the next ten-plus years and is one you can't afford to miss on.

In Mel Kiper Jr.'s latest mock draft on ESPN, he has the Panthers selecting Georgia defensive end Travon Walker. This past season, Walker recorded 33 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, six sacks, two pass breakups, and one fumble recovery. No, the numbers don't jump off the page by any means but when you turn on the film, it doesn't take long to see why so many scouts have him graded highly.

For more on Walker, here is some analysis from Lorenz Leinweber of NFL Draft Bible:

Very long defensive end who possesses the ability to outreach and control opponents at the point of attack. Walker is a more than capable power rusher, creating knockback and driving his legs. He needs to develop a counter move as he is a one-trick pony. Below average processing speed prevents him from making more splash plays. Walker projects as a developmental 3-4 defensive end or five-technique who can move around on the line. He has traits in length and athleticism that are highly coveted and should help him have an impact in a rotation as a rookie. With more technical refinement and urgency, Walker can be a quality starting-caliber player.

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