Eyes on the Panthers’ future: What players should Carolina consider in 2021 NFL draft?
The Carolina Panthers’ 2020 season still has six games to go. But at 3-7 and looking up at the rest of the teams in the NFC South, it’s natural for a wandering eye to start glancing ahead to next season.
Panthers coach Matt Rhule won’t settle for anything less than trying to win each and every game and he’s made that clear throughout the season. But this year is also just the first step in building a program for the future.
As the second half of this season continues, there are some early names that could make sense for the Panthers come the 2021 NFL draft. Building a team will be a bit different next year due to the unknowns surrounding the cap that is expected to decrease.
Without Teddy Bridgewater’s complete 2020 campaign and knowing exactly how high the Panthers will land, it’s too early to say if the they should address the quarterback position. If there’s someone they think is the quarterback of the future and is reachable? Sure, but they don’t appear to be in position for Trevor Lawrence or Justin Fields. While BYU’s Zach Wilson and North Dakota State’s Trey Lance are also likely to go in the top 15, with Bridgewater under contract for two more seasons, there are many needs to be addressed that won’t require reaching. Although there’s always a chance they fall in love with a quarterback of the future. If not, an early run on quarterbacks by other teams could actually help Carolina.
“If they’re picking eighth or ninth or something, that’s great. If three or four quarterbacks go ahead of them, I mean, that shortens their board so nicely, so that they can get the top defensive player, the best offensive lineman or the second best this or that,” Eric Edholm, lead draft analyst at Yahoo! Sports said. “That is a nice benefit I think for this draft, depending on where they end up picking.”
If the season ended today, the Panthers would hold the ninth overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft — a second straight season with a top-10 pick. This year’s draft will mean having less tape on players who opted out prior to the start of the season. Scouts will have to judge certain players based on what they see from limited film, while many other college teams have had their seasons reduced due to COVID-19.
The Observer took a look at some early positions that could be addressed with the help of some draft experts.
Tight end
The need for a true pass-catching tight end is evident in the Panthers offense. Every game of this five-game losing streak, there are drives or situations in which that need it is reinforced.
The touchdown to tight end Colin Thompson in the loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last weekend was just the second touchdown a Panthers tight end has caught this year. While it’s easy to point to moving on from veteran Greg Olsen in the offseason, the 35-year old wouldn’t exactly be saving the offense and he’s certainly not a candidate to be a part of the “process” that Rhule is building for the future. With the Seattle Seahawks this year, Olsen had caught 23 passes for 224 yards and one touchdown before suffering a foot injury that will cause him to miss several weeks.
In comparison, Thomas has 12 receptions for 93 yards and a touchdown. The Panthers will need to consider the future of the position.
Names to watch:
▪ Kyle Pitts, Florida
“I don’t even think of him as a tight end. He’s almost just like a king-sized wide receiver,” Edholm said. “He’s so phenomenal and he runs such fluid routes for a big guy. We really haven’t seen that kind of 6-foot-6, 245-pound, vines for arms, great body control. I don’t know how you cover him. I really don’t.”
▪ Pat Freiermuth, Penn State
▪ Brevin Jordan, Miami
Linebacker
The Panthers have found somewhat of an answer at linebacker in that Jeremy Chinn has been a revelation as a hybrid player and should be in consideration for Defensive Rookie of the Year. But there is a need that the middle linebacker spot. It’s one of the only defensive position that wasn’t addressed with the historic seven defensive picks in the 2019 NFL draft.
Having someone who can go sideline-to-sideline and reliably make tackles would be a major boost to a defense that is set to make history with the highest third down conversion percentage allowed since 1972 (55.3%). A reliable asset in the middle of the field would help a young defense that has some young pieces to build around, from Chinn to defensive end Brian Burns.
Names to watch:
▪ Micah Parsons, Penn State
“He was a pass rusher in high school. His freshman year at Penn State, they used him as a pass rusher in third down situations, that sort of stuff. So last year, he really expanded his repertoire and became that Luke Kuechly-type of linebacker or the three-down guy who can cover and rush and stop the run and everything,” Edholm said.
▪ Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, Notre Dame
“He can do a lot of everything and he’s a really good athlete,” Edholm said, similar to Chinn
▪ Nick Bolton, Missouri
“He’s a thumper. He’s a perfect Matt Rhule kind of guy,” Edholm said. “Hard-nosed, serious kid, wants to hit, cracks the pads, can run, can blitz really well, has improved in coverage. He’s not big, but he plays big.”
▪ Dylan Moses, Alabama
▪ Chazz Surratt, UNC
“If anybody pays attention to North Carolina high school football they know him well, because he used to play quarterback,” Trevor Sikkema of Draft Network said. “He’s a former quarterback that has switched over to linebacker and you can just tell that he knows how to see what’s going on from the offensive side of things and really anticipates on the defense side of the ball.”
Cornerback
Panthers cornerback Donte Jackson will enter his fourth season next year. The Panthers drafted Troy Pride Jr. out of Notre Dame in the fourth round last year and Rasul Douglas has been a pleasant surprise overall after being claimed off waivers just prior to the start of the season. Douglas, however, becomes an unrestricted free agent in the offseason.
Finding a top corner is an area the Panthers could look to address as it is unlikely to be a position that they would overpay a player in free agency, instead hoping to find the right piece for the future.
Names to watch:
▪ Caleb Farley, Virginia Tech
“Could be a top-15 guy,” Sikkema said.
▪ Shaun Wade, Ohio State
▪ Asante Samuel Jr., Florida State
“As you get into the second round, I love Asante Samuel,” Sikkema said. “If you’re going to play a little bit more cover three... absolutely love that.”
Other positions the Panthers need draft help with
Offensive line: Right tackle Taylor Moton’s future in Carolina is uncertain and the cap situation next year could play a large part in free agent signings. Wide receiver Curtis Samuel may be easier to bring back.
▪ Names to watch: T Teven Jenkins, Oklahoma State, Rashawn Slater, Northwestern
Defensive tackle: Kawann Short suffered a second-straight season-ending shoulder injury this year. At 31-years old, Short’s time in Carolina may be coming to an end. The team will have an $11 million cap hit if he is released, but it may end up being the right direction.
Finding someone to go next to Derrick Brown for the long haul should be a priority, even if it is later in the draft. General manager Marty Hurney and Rhule put a priority on developing linemen.
▪ Names to watch: Tyler Shelvin, LSU, Darius Stills, West Virginia, Jay Tufele, USC
This story was originally published November 20, 2020 at 6:30 AM.
