What Recent Free Agent Moves Mean for the Panthers in the Draft

Despite falling short in the Deshaun Watson sweepstakes, the Carolina Panthers have had a terrific start to the offseason.

The main goal for GM Scott Fitterer was to completely rebuild the offensive line after a disastrous year protecting the quarterback. He has done exactly that by signing former Rams right guard Austin Corbett and former Ravens center Bradley Bozeman. This now makes three of the five starting spots up front locked up with just left tackle and left guard up for grabs. Head coach Matt Rhule believes that Brady Christensen is a starter, but remains unsure where he will line up permanently.

"We think he's a starter," Rhule told reporters back in January. "He's had that rookie year where you're kind of figuring out where you fit and how to play in the NFL, but his skillset, his explosiveness, his power - I think all that tells us that he's a guy that's a starter. It's just a matter of putting that puzzle together. I think these games are really important to go back and look and say hey, is he our left tackle?"

Given that the Panthers hold the sixth overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, one of the top offensive tackles (Evan Neal, Ikem Ekwonu, Charles Cross) should be on the board. If they buy into one of those top prospects, they can kick Christensen inside to left guard and have their line set for years to come. There's also the possibility that Carolina adds a veteran left tackle which would once again slide Christensen to guard. According to David Newton of ESPN, the team has shown interest in former Seahawk Duane Brown. They were also in the mix for La'el Collins before eventually landing with the Cincinnati Bengals, per Jeremy Fowler.

On the defensive side of the ball, Carolina added some much need help up front with the signing of Matt Ioannidis who will help man down the middle of the defense alongside Derrick Brown. Ioannidis, when healthy, is one of the better interior pass rushers in the league. His presence will help Brown not take on as many double teams and will allow him to develop into the player the Panthers believed he could be when they drafted him 7th overall in 2020. Signing linebackers Damien Wilson and Cory Littleton, safety Xavier Woods while also re-signing corner Donte Jackson to a three-year deal shores up some glaring holes as well.

Now that many of the team's needs are filled via free agency, Carolina has put themselves in a position to do whatever they feel best with the No. 6 pick instead of forcing something. They can take the best offensive tackle on the board, trade back and get more picks, or take a chance on the high ceiling of Liberty quarterback Malik Willis who would be operating behind a significantly improved offensive line. If the top three tackles are off the board and are not sold on any of the quarterbacks, they could take one of the premier edge rushers in this class to help compensate for the loss of Haason Reddick.

With still over a month left until the draft, expect the Panthers to make a few more moves to truly give them the ability to take the best player available when they're on the clock.

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