Carolina Panthers 7-round NFL mock draft 1.0: Prioritizing defense entering combine
Among the biggest challenges the Panthers have entering the NFL draft and next week’s scouting combine is how they many areas they have to address this offseason.
Some of the roster concerns, from finding a replacement for retired linebacker Luke Kuechly to deciding if Ian Thomas can be the future at tight end now that Greg Olsen is with the Seahawks, may be sorted out in other ways. But there is still plenty of work Carolina will do through the draft to start rebuilding this franchise.
The NFL draft is still over two months away and our projections for what the Panthers will do will be adjusted after the combine and with signings they make as the league year begins March 18. Here is The Observer’s first look at a 2020 Panthers mock draft, less than a week before the NFL Combine begins in Indianapolis:
Round 1, No. 7 overall: Isaiah Simmons, LB, Clemson
There’s a chance that Simmons doesn’t make it to the seventh pick — he could make sense for the Giants at No. 4 — but he makes a lot of sense for the Panthers.
Simmons would be a versatile piece in Phil Snow’s defense, having played almost every defensive position at Clemson. He played more than 100 snaps each at defensive line, in the box, slot cornerback and deep safety.
PFF described the linebacker/safety as an “athletic freak who can fill the big shoes left by Luke Kuechly’s retirement. In his three seasons at Clemson, Simmons had coverage grades of 76.1, 90.0, and 88.2” showing improvement over his college career.
How exactly the Panthers would use Simmons isn’t definitive, but the defense needs help in a lot of areas, so it doesn’t really matter. He’s a talented player who could help in a variety of ways and potentially play a unique role. Phil Snow did say he wanted to build his defense around his players. Making Simmons the team’s first-ever draft pick from Clemson seems like a good place to start.
Round 2, No. 38 overall: Josh Jones, OT, Houston
There’s a chance that Jones is off the board in the first round with draft analysts having him selected all over the place. ESPN’s Mel Kiper has him going to the Broncos at 15th overall in his most recent mock draft.
Jones made an impression at the Senior Bowl after a strong final college season. PFF awarded him the highest grade of any draft-eligible tackle during the regular season at 93.2 overall. Jones also improved his pass protection throughout his college career, per PFF.
The Panthers are in need of more stability and depth on the offensive line. After tying with the Dolphins for a league-high 58 sacks allowed in 2019, Carolina will prioritize improving the line. Keeping the quarterback healthy starts with a strong line. While the Panthers traded up in the draft to select offensive tackle Greg Little in the second round last year, the Panthers’ line in 2019 was weakened due to injuries and a lack of dependable depth.
Jones played left tackle at Houston, but moving him elsewhere on the Panthers line could be an option after Dennis Daley, last year’s sixth-round pick, had a mixed season. He could also be a depth piece. Bottom line, if Jones is available in the second-round, he would be hard to pass up with the team’s recent line woes.
Round 3, No. 69 overall: Jordan Elliott, DL, Missouri
Panthers defensive linemen Mario Addison, Gerald McCoy, Vernon Butler, Bruce Irvin and Kyle Love are all free agents.
On top of that, the Panthers’ defense struggled in 2019, especially over the final eight games. They finished the season allowing 31 rushing touchdowns (most in the NFL).
Elliott could be a nice answer to some of their problems. He’s coming off his best season as a pass rusher, totaling 13 QB hits, 2.5 sacks and 36 pressures, per PFF. He spent the first year of his college career at Texas before transferring to Missouri. He totaled 68 tackles and 16.5 tackles for loss during his two seasons at Mizzou, in addition to 5.5 sacks. PFF graded him as their only Power-5 interior defender with elite 90.0-plus run-defense and pass-rush grades.
There’s no doubt Elliott will be a great fit. He’s projected to go all over the draft board and his stock is continuing to rise. He’ll be one to watch at the Combine.
Round 4, No. 103 overall: Thaddeus Moss, TE, LSU
Moss was a part of Joe Brady’s national championship-winning offense at LSU this past season and had 47 receptions for 570 yards (single-season records for a tight end at LSU) and four touchdowns, two of which came in the national championship game against Clemson. Brady is now the Panthers’ offensive coordinator.
With Olsen heading to Seattle, Moss could be a great fit, even if Thomas proves he deserves a starting role.
According to PFF, Moss did not drop a single pass in 2019. He fit in well Brady’s offense and the two are already familiar with each other. The son of Randy Moss, who’s in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Thaddeus started his career at N.C. State in 2016 before transferring to LSU. At 6-foot-3 and 249 pounds, Moss showed abilities as a receiver and a blocker.
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Round 5, No. 134 overall: Troy Pride Jr., CB, Notre Dame
With James Bradberry set to become a free agent, using the franchise tag (a cost of $16 million) doesn’t exactly appear to fit with the Panthers’ model of rebuilding due to the high price tag, Carolina may have at least one hole to fill at cornerback.
Pride Jr. could be a good fit and late-round steal if he’s still available. His draft stock has also been improving since the Senior Bowl, and with a strong combine performance, he can move up into higher rounds.
Speed won’t be a problem for Pride Jr., who was also on Notre Dame’s track team. He can run a 40-yard dash in 4.2 seconds. Size is a bit of an issue at 5-11, 193 pounds. He also had just four interceptions and 121 tackles during his four-year career with the Fighting Irish.
But he has shown an ability to do well in one-on-one drills and stick to his receiver. Pride Jr. could be a nice piece for the Panthers rebuild.
Round 6, No. 164 overall: Denzel Mims, WR, Baylor
The Panthers could use some depth at wide receiver. Chris Hogan is a free agent and behind DJ Moore and Curtis Samuel, there isn’t a lot there for Carolina
During his time at Baylor, he had two seasons with 1,000-plus receiving yards, but his junior year was an outlier. He had 794 yards on just 11 fewer catches than his senior season (finished with 1,020 receiving yards in 2019) and had a career-high 12 receiving touchdowns as a senior.
Mims is someone who has shown an ability to make flashy catches, but consistency has been a major question.
Matt Rhule selecting someone who has played for him for three seasons wouldn’t be a surprise. He knows exactly what he is getting in Mims.
Round 7, No. 198 overall: Trevis Gipson, EDGE, Tulsa
This pick could really go anywhere in the seventh round, but the Panthers will need to address the defensive line by adding more than one player.
Gipson could be a good fit late in the draft. He’s a developmental player, but he has flashed a lot of talent that has excited some draft analysts.
The pass rusher had eight sacks in his final college season and finished his time at Tulsa with eight forced fumbles.
Selecting an edge rusher that needs some development makes sense for the Panthers in the late rounds; they are building for the long-term. Despite the amount of defensive free agents, prioritizing depth and raw talent on Day 3 of the draft makes a lot of sense.
This story was originally published February 20, 2020 at 6:00 AM.
