Panthers could draft next Micah Parsons, and it's not Abdul Carter

A Carolina Panthers NFL Draft target has been compared to Dallas Cowboys superstar Micah Parsons.

Oct 16, 2023; Inglewood, California, USA; Dallas Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons (11) leaves the field after the game against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Carolina Panthers are slated to have the eighth overall pick in the NFL Draft next month, and it's looking more and more like they are going to take a defensive player.

Given that the Panthers finished with the worst defense in league history this past year, the fact that Carolina is so focused on improving that side of the ball is not surprising.

But who will the Panthers be able to nab at No. 8?

Well, some are projecting Carolina to land Georgia Bulldogs linebacker Jalon Walker, who is one of the most unique players in this upcoming draft class.

Walker is so unique, as a matter of fact, that draft analyst and former general manager Mike Mayock feels that Walker could be a better prospect than Abdul Carter and went as far to compare him to Dallas Cowboys superstar Micah Parsons.

"I have in my notes all over the place for Jalon Walker, every tape I watched, I have Micah Parsons, Micah Parsons, Micah Parsons," Mayock said on The Rich Eisen Show. "He reminds me so much of Micah Parsons when he came out of Penn State because he was an off-ball linebacker that they used exactly the same in sub situations. And the bottom line for Micah Parsons and Jalon Walker to me, when you go 'okay what does this kid do best' even though he was an off-the-ball linebacker? What he did best was rush the quarterback."

Walker racked up 60 tackles, 11 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks during his final season at Georgia and accumulated 12.5 sacks throughout his three-year collegiate career.

The Panthers finished with just 32 sacks as a team in 2024, so they could definitely stand to add a dominant pass rusher to their mix.

We'll see if Walker ends up being the answer.

Dec 7, 2024; Atlanta, GA, USA; Georgia Bulldogs linebacker Jalon Walker (11) reacts against the Texas Longhorns during the first half in the 2024 SEC Championship game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

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