5 Major Draft Risers the Carolina Panthers Need to Keep an Eye On

The Senior Bowl is a fantastic opportunity for teams like the Carolina Panthers to get a good look at prospects that might be getting overlooked. Everyone's looking at Fernando Mendoza, Carnell Tate, and Caleb Downs, but not some of these other players.

To draft well, the Panthers can and should always keep a close eye on the Senior Bowl. This year, there are several draft risers that showed out at the Senior Bowl that GM Dan Morgan should keep an eye on.

C Samuel Hecht

The Panthers currently do not have a center on the roster. Austin Corbett and Cade Mays, both of whom took snaps there last season, are free agents. So is Brady Christensen, who can also play center.

They'll probably re-sign one of them, but the Panthers should keep an eye on Kansas State center Samuel Hecht. "[He] understands leverage, angles and assignments. He does those things at a high level, which creates a future opportunity to earn a starting spot on an NFL roster," B/R analyst Brent Sobleski wrote.

EDGE Derrick Moore

The Panthers actually officially met with Derrick Moore, an edge rusher from Michigan, at the Senior Bowl. He's clearly on their radar already, which is a good thing. He is skyrocketing up draft boards now.

Moore had a really good senior year, and Sobleski added, "His success carried over to the Senior Bowl, where the Michigan product did more than enough to stand out even among a stacked position group."

LB Owen Heinicke

The Panthers badly need linebacker help, but they may not be able to draft Sonny Styles or CJ Allen in the first round for a myriad of reasons. They may have to look later in the draft, and they can look at Oklahoma linebacker Owen Heinicke.

"Considering his limited playing time yet not being overwhelmed by the situation at all, the linebacker's ceiling is sky-high once he becomes a full-time professional," Sobleski said. His strength is in the run game, which isn't going to help the coverage issue in Carolina, but they could do so much worse.

EDGE Gabe Jacas

Michigan State Spartans quarterback Payton Thorne (10) passes the ball as Illinois Fighting Illini linebacker Gabe Jacas pressures | Ron Johnson-Imagn Images

The Panthers need edge help badly, so they can and should be scouting every notable prospect. That includes Illinois edge rusher Gabe Jacas, who is rising up draft boards after a really stellar showing at the Senior Bowl.

"With an ability to turn speed-to-power and threaten with an inside counter, his pass-rush repertoire is now becoming fully realized. As a result, his stock should skyrocket," Sobleski noted. The Panthers need someone who can really get after the QB, and it looks like Jacas certainly can.

WR Tyren Montgomery

The Panthers could use another pass-catcher, and it might not be the worst idea to take a flyer on a draft riser like Tyren Montgomery. He wasn't on anyone's radar until now, and that could mean he ends up like Jalen Coker.

The Panthers took a shot on Coker, and he's been a stud. They may do the same with Montgomery, who "didn't look out of place at all," according to Sobleski. "Aside from a couple drops during Thursday's practice, the late bloomer looked explosive, both in short areas and down the field," he wrote.

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