NFL Draft: Panthers select NC State G Chandler Zavala with 114th pick in fourth round
The Carolina Panthers beefed up their offensive line on Day 3 of the NFL Draft.
The Panthers selected NC State guard Chandler Zavala with the 114th overall pick during Saturday’s fourth round of the NFL Draft. Zavala joins No. 1 overall pick, quarterback Bryce Young, second-round pick, wideout Jonathan Mingo, and third-round pick, edge rusher DJ Johnson, as part of the Panthers’ rookie class.
Zavala — listed as 6-foot-3 and 322 pounds — is coming off a six-year college career. The Boynton Beach, Florida, native started his career at Fairmont State, a Division II program in West Virginia. He spent the the past two years at NC State, working at left guard.
Zavala sustained a back injury and underwent surgery in 2021. He had previously sustained a season-ending knee injury during his freshman year at Fairmont State. Clearly, the Panthers didn’t have issues with Zavala’s injury history, though that could be why he fell to the fourth round.
Zavala will join Brady Christensen, Austin Corbett, Cade Mays and Justin McCray on the guard depth chart.
Christensen is coming off a broken ankle, while Corbett is recovering from ACL surgery. Mays is slated to fill in for Corbett at right guard this offseason, while Zavala could serve as competition or insurance for Christensen at left guard.
Panthers picks
First round (1st overall): Bryce Young, QB, Alabama
Second round (39th overall): Jonathan Mingo, WR, Ole Miss
Third round (80th overall via PIT): DJ Johnson, EDGE, Oregon
Fourth round (114th overall): Chandler Zavala, G, NC State
Remaining selections
Fifth Round (145th overall)
This story was originally published April 29, 2023 at 12:55 PM.
