Panther Maven Mock Draft 5.0

Round 1, Pick 7: DL Derrick Brown (Auburn)

Let's face it, Clemson linebacker Isaiah Simmons would be the Panthers dream, but his stock rises day by day and he's very likely to go fourth overall to the Giants. Couple that with the Panthers recent move to acquire left tackle Russell Okung and our pick changes back to defensive lineman Derrick Brown.

There's no doubt Brown is a solid player and will help fill a major need, but this is going off the thought that Simmons is already off of the board.

Last week: OL Mekhi Becton (Louisville).

Round 2, Pick 38: OL Trey Adams (Washington)

Even with the addition of Okung, the Panthers still need to improve the offensive line and Okung only has one year remaining on his current deal. Adams could potentially sit and learn behind him or anchor down the right side if he can beat out Taylor Moton.

Last week: CB A.J. Terrell (Clemson).

Round 3, Pick 69 : TE Thaddeus Moss (LSU)

Moss will be having surgery on his ankle in a couple of weeks as we discovered at the NFL Combine. Despite the injury concern, Moss shouldn’t see much of a drop in his stock, if any. Ian Thomas is our projected starter at tight end, but I think the Panthers can get an upgrade here in round three. With Greg Olsen off to the Seahawks, it leaves behind a very thin tight ends group.

Last week: Same pick, no change.

Round 4, Pick 103 : LB Evan Weaver (Cal)

Talk about a tackling machine, this guy is every bit of that. As a junior in 2018, he finished the year with 155 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks. In 2019, he topped those numbers, which is hard to believe. He finished this past season totaling 181 tackles, 11.5 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks. Weaver was named the PAC 12 Defensive Player of the Year and finished No. 1 in the country in solo tackles (103). If the Panthers want to try to replace Luke Kuechly, Weaver might be the guy they are looking for.

Last week: DE Alex Highsmith (Charlotte).

Round 5, Pick 134: LB Jonathan Greenard (Florida)

Replacing Luke Kuechly is going to take a team effort. There's not one single guy that will be able to just plug right in and produce at the same level as he did. Not to mention, pass rushers Bruce Irvin and Mario Addison are likely gone and will need replaced. This is where Greenard fits in. Greenard is more of a stand up edge rusher more than an inside linebacker. Although he totaled 16 tackles for loss and ten sacks as a senior, he's probably even better in run support.

Last week: LB Akeem Davis-Gaither (Appalachian State).

Round 6, Pick 165: OL Zach Shackelford (Texas)

Matt Paradis had a rough go of it in 2019 and the Panthers can wait until the 6th round to get a quality prospect at center. Shackelford was a big reason for the Longhorns offensive success over the last few seasons and could be an early contributor in his career if Paradis shows signs of struggles once again. He has great pad level, strong hands and the ability to take up multiple defenders in the run game.

Last week: RB A.J. Dillon (Boston College).

Round 7, Pick 199: S Myles Dorn (North Carolina)

Carolina doesn't have a deep secondary and with Tre Boston and Ross Cockrell now being free agents, safety is a position of need. There's a good chance that the Panthers are able to bring back at least one of those two guys and even if they are unable to bring back either, it's not the biggest need right now. Over the last two years in Chapel Hill, Dorn accounted for 137 tackles, seven tackles for loss and four interceptions.

Last week: OL Zack Johnson (North Dakota State).

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_.