Five non-quarterback options the Panthers will keep an eye on at the 2022 NFL combine
The needs for the Carolina Panthers have been abundantly clear since the middle part of the 2021 season when they began their slide from 3-0 to 5-12: The Panthers need to bolster their offensive line and find a quarterback who can lead them to the playoffs.
And so it begins. The Panthers recently wrapped up draft and free agency meetings ahead of the combine, which begins on Tuesday. There are 324 prospects invited.
The Panthers could choose a quarterback if they fall in love with one. But as it stands right now, all indications point to the Panthers taking an offensive tackle with the sixth pick. It remains their biggest need, and the likeliness that they can address it with a good player seems likely.
Here are some realistic options for Carolina at No. 6:
OT Ikem Ekwonu
The 6-foot-4, 320-pound offensive tackle from Charlotte was a force at N.C. State. Ikem ‘Ickey’ Ekwonu will likely be one of the top two offensive linemen drafted in the first round, which may mean he won’t make it to No. 6.
Ekwonu is considered a Day 1 starter at left tackle by most draft experts and would address an immediate need for Carolina. He also has experience playing guard.
“He’s the real deal. He’s everything you want in an offensive tackle,” ESPN draft analyst Jordan Reid said. “You’re going to hear ‘he lacks length’ and all of this stuff. ‘Is he a guard? Is he a tackle?’ I think what he’s put on film this year, he certainly is an offensive tackle.”
It’s been 19 years since the Panthers last drafted a left tackle — Jordan Gross — in the first round. He retired in 2013, and since then, it’s been a revolving door.
Ekwonu is a player who is rising on draft boards and could continue to make a name for himself at the combine.
OT Charles Cross
Charles Cross, the left tackle from Mississippi State might be the most likely option for the Panthers at No. 6. Most draft experts believe he’ll be available when the Panthers pick.
Carolina’s staff will certainly take a look at Cross, who is 6-foot-5, 310 pounds. Reid called Cross a Day 1 starter as well, along with Ekwonu and Alabama’s Evan Neal.
At 21, Cross is one of the younger prospects in this draft class.
“He was one of my favorite players overall that I saw in this draft,” Reid said. “I think he’s a ready made pass protector walking through the door, which is something the Panthers obviously need.”
The Panthers allowed 52 sacks in 2021, the fifth-most of any team in the NFL.
“He does have some work to do as a run blocker, but he was in Mike Leach’s system and they have an 81-19 split as far as percentage in pass to run.”
“I think this is what I like to call an ascending prospect.”
OT Trevor Penning
NFL.com’s Daniel Jeremiah has the Panthers taking Northern Iowa offensive tackle Trevor Penning in his latest mock draft. The fifth-year senior started three seasons at left tackle for Northern Iowa. He’s 6-foot-7, 330 pounds, so he has the size.
Most draft experts have him as one of the top five offensive tackles in this class.
Jeremiah said six is a little early for Penning, but he could start Day 1 in Carolina and can play guard.
“One of my favorite nuggets on him was the guy literally watches horror movies the night before the game to get into character,” Jeremiah said last week in a conference call.
OT Evan Neal
Neal might be the least likely to fall to the Panthers at No. 6. Some draft experts have him going first overall to the Jaguars.
But not everyone has the Alabama offensive tackle as their favorite.
In that case, if he does fall, Neal is a great option. Neal is 6-foot-7, 351 pounds.
“Evan Neal is really, really good,” CBS Sports’ Ryan Wilson said. “But he didn’t have a great, knock em’ dead season at Alabama. He had a really good season, but I know there are some folks that had some issues with the way he played.”
Wilson still considers Neal one of his top offensive tackles and said if Neal is available at No. 6, then he would think “long and hard” about drafting him there. He said he’s long, athletic and can block people in space.
S Kyle Hamilton
It’s highly unlikely the Panthers draft defense in the first round, but there is a chance the top three offensive linemen come off the board before the Panthers pick.
In that case, Hamilton may be one of the best available players on the board at No. 6.
The Panthers need safety help in 2022. Safety Juston Burris is slated to become a free agent in March. He struggled to stay healthy last season, and likely won’t return.
Hamilton would fill that void. At 6-foot-4, 220 pounds, Hamilton is big for the position. The junior from Notre Dame played in only seven games in 2021 after missing time because of a knee injury.
He had 34 tackles and three interceptions in those seven games. He had eight interceptions in his three year career, including four as a freshman.
The Panthers were second in the league in total defense in 2021, but they lacked a playmaker and did not force many turnovers. Hamilton could help with that.
“I think this kid is pretty unique,” Jeremiah said. “He’s so tall and long and rangy. The ability to make plays from the deep middle as well as to drop down and play down low and be a physical player, he can erase tight ends.”
This story was originally published March 1, 2022 at 6:00 AM.
