Schuyler Callihan's Carolina Panthers Seven-Round Mock Draft 4/25

A full projection of Panthers picks.

Projected Trade: CAR sends No. 8 pick to NE for No. 15 pick, 2021 2nd round pick (No. 46), 2022 1st round pick

Round 1, Pick 15: OT Rashawn Slater (Northwestern)

For whatever reason, it seems like Rashawn Slater is sliding down the first round in many mock drafts. So instead of using that pick on CB Caleb Farley who is dealing with a bad back, they can trade back and still get the guy they believe can be their left tackle of the future. Personally, I believe Slater should go in the top ten but if the feeling is that he won't then this makes perfect sense. Teams between 10-15 are going to be looking for help at corner and receiver which bodes well for Carolina in this situation.

Round 2, Pick 39: CB Asante Samuel Jr. (Florida State)

Despite the signings of A.J. Bouye and Rashaan Melvin in free agency, Carolina still needs to add another corner or two before the start of the 2021 season. Samuel Jr. should be there when the Panthers make their first selection of round two. In eight games this past season, Samuel Jr. recorded 30 tackles, three interceptions, and six pass breakups. 

Round 2, Pick 46: TE Pat Freiermuth (Penn State)

Pat Freiermuth of Penn State has the exact makeup of what a tight end should look like in Matt Rhule's offense. He's a tough, physical tight end that seeks contact which makes him arguably the best blocking tight end in this draft. As good of a blocker he is, don't overlook his ability to be a threat over the middle of the field and in the red zone.

Round 3, Pick 73: S Richie Grant (Central Florida)

Over the last three years, Richie Grant of UCF was one of the best defensive backs in all of college football. Due to playing in the American Conference, not many folks knew about him. Earlier this offseason, the Panthers released veteran Tre Boston. To fill that void, I think the Panthers would like to pair up Jeremy Chinn with a young promising player that can help form the backbone of the secondary. By adding another safety, this could also allow the Panthers to move Chinn down into the box more which is where he does the most damage.

Round 4, Pick 113: WR Frank Darby (Arizona State)

Darby is slightly bigger than Curtis Samuel but has a similar playing style, which is why I believe he would be a perfect fit in the Panthers' offense. He's a bit of a home run threat as he averaged 19.7 yards per reception during his collegiate career. His explosiveness and reliability should make for a seamless transition post-Curtis Samuel.

Round 5, Pick 151: DL Osa Odighizuwa (UCLA)

There are very few prospects in this draft class that can affect the pocket better than Osa Odighizuwa. In his four seasons at UCLA, Odighizuwa registered 27.5 tackles for loss and 11.5 sacks. Those may not seem like great numbers over four years but he did several things that disrupted a big play from happening that won't show up on a stat sheet. Odighizuwa appears to be a fourth-rounder but I wouldn't be all that shocked to see him slip to the fifth round. He's more of a specialist than an every-down player at the next level and I'm not so sure that many teams will want to draft that caliber of a player in the fourth round.

Round 6, Pick 192: LB Grant Stuard (Houston)

This might be the first mock draft I've done since free agency where I have the Panthers picking a linebacker. After what happened last year with Tahir Whitehead, you never want to be put in that situation again. Denzel Perryman should be a major improvement but he has to stay healthy. Stuard doesn't need to come in right away and make an impact defensively. He can serve on the special teams unit and learn all three linebacker positions until he is ready to settle into a role defensively. 

Round 6, Pick 220: RB Elijah Mitchell (Louisiana)

It appears like the consensus is that Mitchell is going to be a 6th, maybe 7th round guy but I'm not sure why. He's an explosive back that can muscle through defenders for extra yardage and can catch the ball out of the backfield. He rushed for 1,147 yards and 16 touchdowns in 2019 and ran for 878 yards and eight touchdowns in four fewer games this year. The value of Mitchell going this late reminds me a lot of James Robinson who actually went undrafted but had a stellar rookie year for the Jacksonville Jaguars.

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