Schuyler Callihan's Carolina Panthers 2022 7-Round Mock Draft 5.0

Each Sunday, I'll be releasing a new Carolina Panthers seven-round mock draft. From now up until the first Sunday of April, I will not be projecting any trades.

RD 1, Pick 6: QB Malik Willis (Liberty)

After filling some major holes along the offensive line, I believe this will open the door for Carolina to take a chance on the potential of Malik Willis. Sure, he's going to need some time to truly develop into a quality NFL quarterback, but the talent is off the charts. Willis has the strongest arm in this draft class by far and if he can make better reads downfield, this could be a home run for the Panthers.

RD 4, Pick 108: EDGE Myjai Sanders (Cincinnati)

When you lose Haason Reddick, you have to have a plan to replace him. Yetur Gross-Matos and Marquis Haynes Sr. will each have their chance to do so at their respective positions but snagging Sanders in the fourth round would be hard to pass up. Sanders didn't have as much success sacking the quarterback in 2021 (2.5 sacks), but he also had more double teams to deal with. At 6'5", 258 pounds, he has the same long, lanky build to that of Brian Burns.

RD 5, Pick 144: IOL Lecitus Smith (Virginia Tech)

The Panthers still have a hole at left guard, assuming that the plan is to start newly signed Bradley Bozeman at center. In the fifth round, Smith will be the best left guard available. He may/may not be a plug and play type of guy, but it will give Carolina depth at the position. I would still expect the Panthers to add another veteran to the mix.

RD 5, Pick 149: LB D'Marco Jackson (Appalachian State)

Jackson exploded for 119 tackles, 20 tackles for loss, six sacks, one interception, and five pass breakups this past season up the road in Boone. The Panthers have to defend the run better and this is Jackson's specialty, hence the high number of TFLs. A good rotational player that could emerge into a starter by year two or three.

RD 6, Pick 200: WR Reggie Roberson Jr. (SMU)

I'm not convinced that the Panthers are fully confident rolling into the 2022 season with the current batch of receivers they have. Beyond DJ Moore there are a lot of question marks. Is Robby Anderson going to bounce back? Does Rashard Higgins fill the No. 3 role? Can Terrace Marshall Jr/Shi Smith become a factor? This is why I have them grabbing Reggie Roberson Jr. in the 6th. He did suffer a knee injury in 2020 which ended his season, but he bounced back for 51 receptions, 625 yards, and six touchdowns in 2021. An explosive receiver that wins a lot of matchups deep down the field.

RD 7, Pick 248: S Smoke Monday (Auburn)

With the addition of Xavier Woods, the Panthers are one safety away from being able to play Jeremy Chinn down in the box full-time. Now, I'm not going to bank on a 7th round pick to afford them that opportunity, but it gives them options and competition.

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