Mocking the Carolina Panthers’ picks pre-draft: A year for playmakers and depth

A pick-by-pick projection of the players the Carolina Panthers will take in the 2017 NFL draft:

Round 1, Pick 8

Christian McCaffrey, running back, Stanford: A do-it-all back who can not only boost an offense enormously, but a franchise, too.

Round 2, Pick 40

Dion Dawkins, offensive lineman, Temple: Dawkins has the skill and versatility to play guard or tackle, and the Panthers need depth.

Round 2, Pick 64

Tarell Basham, defensive end, Ohio: A solid edge-rusher who could evolve well in the NFL behind Carolina’s veterans.

Round 3, Pick 98

Gerald Everett, tight end, South Alabama: Small-school product with big game who is an athletic pass-catcher and solid blocker.

Round 4, Pick 115

Johnathan “Rudy” Ford, defensive back, Auburn: The Panthers don’t need any more starters in the secondary but depth would help. Ford can back up any position on the field, including the slot.

Round 5, Pick 152

Malachi Dupre, wide receiver, LSU: Under-utilized at LSU because of quarterback issues, Dupre can play any spot on the route chart and separates nicely from coverage.

Round 6, Pick 192

Tanner Vallejo, linebacker, Boise State: A rough-around-the-edges hit stick with tons of potential, and the only linebacker to reportedly meet with Carolina.

Round 7, Pick 233

Matt Davis, kicker, UNC Pembroke: Competition for Carolina’s Graham Gano, who missed a career-high eight field goals last season. Davis also reportedly met with Carolina.

This story was originally published April 26, 2017 at 4:08 PM with the headline "Mocking the Carolina Panthers’ picks pre-draft: A year for playmakers and depth."