Panthers Go Pass Rusher in 2018 Re-Draft

After an 11-5 record and losing in the Wild Card round to the New Orleans Saints, the Carolina Panthers held the 24th overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft.

With that pick, the organization selected wide receiver DJ Moore out of Maryland. Moore had a terrific career in Carolina, totaling 364 receptions for 5,201 yards and 21 touchdowns. Last spring, he and the Panthers agreed to a three-year, $61.9M contract extension.

He only made it through one of those three years thanks to being the centerpiece of the blockbuster trade that netted the Panthers the No. 1 overall pick in 2023.

But looking back on it, DJ Moore would not have been available at No. 24 if teams knew how productive he would be. So, who would the Panthers have chosen instead if everyone could tell the future?

In a recent re-draft of the 2018 draft, Gary Davenport of Bleacher Report has Carolina selecting Josh Sweat, a pass rusher out of Florida State.

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Like the Cincinnati Bengals and Buffalo Bills, the Carolina Panthers struggled rushing the passer in 2018, checking in 27th in the NFL with 35 sacks. It's one of the reasons why they drafted Brian Burns with the 16th overall pick the following season.

This time, the Panthers will have a running mate ready for him.

"Originally a fourth-round pick of the Eagles in 2018, it took Josh Sweat a while to get going. He played sparingly as a rookie and posted only 10 sacks over his first three NFL seasons. But in 2021, the lightbulb came on, and he finished with 45 total tackles, 7.5 sacks and a trip to the Pro Bowl.

"In 2022, that lightbulb turned up the brightness to blinding. Sweat logged career-bests in both tackles (48) and sacks (11) on Philly's way to the Super Bowl.

"Last year's eruption might be as much of a fluke as a coming-out party. But when your pass rush is shaky and a Pro Bowl-caliber edge-rusher is available, that risk is worth taking 10 times out of 10."

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