Carolina Panthers Could Land Next Bobby Wagner in Second Round of NFL Draft

Free agency, which begins in less than a week, will absolutely change the Carolina Panthers' big board. If they sign Bradley Chubb and/or Devin Lloyd, the needs at the top of the list for the draft will change.

However, as of now, the top two needs have to be inside linebacker and edge rusher, and they are the two positions highly likely to be addressed in rounds one and two in this spring's NFL draft. Edge rusher is probably going to be addressed in round one.

That's fine, because the best edge rushers are generally round-one prospects, and the Panthers can grab the next Bobby Wagner in the second round and fix the middle of their defense.

Panthers can draft Anthony Hill Jr., a.k.a the next Bobby Wagner

TX linebacker Anthony Hill (LB12) runs the 40-yard dash during the NFL Scouting Combine | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Anthony Hill Jr. has a few interesting pro comparisons coming out of the NFL Combine. He's been compared to Kenneth Murray, Dre Greenlaw, and Cedric Gray. The most impressive pro comp, though, is Bobby Wagner.

Wagner's a 10-time Pro Bowl LB and a six-time All-Pro first-team member. It basically doesn't get any better than that for pro comparisons at linebacker, and that's the name Lance Zierlein has down on Hill's combine page.

Hill lands in a wide range of places on different big boards:

PFF: 44
Tankathon: 43
ESPN: 42
The Ringer: 35
NFL (Daniel Jeremiah): 42
Bleacher Report: 83
CBS Sports: 30
FOX Sports: 24

That means he is highly likely to land somewhere in the 40s. The Panthers don't pick in the 40s, but they do pick 51st and have a GM, Dan Morgan, who likes to move up in the draft. If he's there at 43, the Panthers might absolutely move up.

Washington Commanders linebacker Bobby Wagner (54) during practice | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Plus, Morgan, a former linebacker, said ILB was a position they would attack this offseason. That sounds like he plans to be aggressive in fixing the issue, and that could mean a small move up the board for Hill.

Plus, with the wide variety of ranks, Hill could easily slide to 51st. Either way, if the Panthers get him, they're getting an ideal linebacker prospect to replace Christian Rozeboom and upgrade their defense.

Zierlein noted that Hill has a lot of important strengths, such as not wasting steps and diagnosing plays quickly. He avoids unnecessary block engagement and keys offensive lineman movement without overreacting.

Of course, he's not perfect, and he has flaws. But those flaws can be overlooked, especially for a team that is in desperate need of a good inside linebacker.