There’s still a long way to go until the draft next month and while the Panthers have played most of their free agent cards, there is still a significant chance that more players are added to the Panthers’ roster in the next month – if only to add depth. However, with the signings of Matt Paradis and Bruce Irvin, the resigning of Daryl Williams and the release of Matt Kalil, the roster is starting to take shape.
With that in mind, the Panthers’ potential directions in the draft are also starting to take shape – so let’s take a look at the five potential draft strategies the Panthers might adopt.
Plan One – Playing It Safe
Photo Credit: Associated Press
16th Overall: Jonah Williams, OT (Alabama)
The Panthers might have made a move at tackle by moving on from Matt Kalil, but the work at that position is far from done – in Moton, they have a presumed-by-many-to-be-the-starter-at-left-tackle who has played exactly one game at the position and in Williams, they have a right tackle coming off a season-ending knee injury. While I’m not as high on Jonah Williams as some, he is possibly the safest tackle in the class, as he is fairly solid from a technical point of view within his athletic limits. I would be surprised if he ever develops into an elite tackle, but he would offer a serious competitor for Moton at LT from day one with the ability to be a plus player at guard as well. Andre Dillard is another option if the Panthers are set on going OT at 16, but Williams is probably the higher-floor player if both are available.
47th Overall: Chase Winovich, DE (Michigan)
Winovich has ended up being viewed as an effort rusher by many, which is odd as he’s actually a pretty well-rounded pass rusher, at least in my opinion. This is still very much a need for the Panthers as while Bruce Irvin is certainly a decent starting point, the Panthers pass rush wasn’t great last season – losing Julius Peppers and Wes Horton doesn’t actually solve that problem. As with Williams, it would be a surprise to see Winovich be an All-Pro, but he can offer immediate value with decent upside.
77th Overall: JoeJuan Williams, CB (Vanderbilt)
James Bradberry is a decent-to-good starting corner, especially in terms of his ability to match up with larger receivers, but he is entering the final year of his contract. Ross Cockrell is a good third corner with the ability to be effective in zone on the outside while also being able to match up against larger receivers in the slot, but he, like Bradberry, is entering the final year of his contract. Williams might not be setting any stopwatches on fire, but he is a long corner with good movement skills and excellent ball skills with the ability to play outside in zone while being able to match up against bigger receivers. He probably wouldn’t start from day one, but he’d give the Panthers a far more secure set of options at corner going forward.
100th Overall: Will Grier, QB (West Virginia)
The Panthers have made it reasonably clear that they plan to find a long-term backup to Cam Newton at some point – with Newton undergoing a second shoulder surgery this offseason, they would probably rather that was sooner rather than later. There are legitimate concerns about Grier’s arm strength, but he is an accurate short and intermediate passer with a decent ability to run an offense.
115th Overall: Lukas Denis, FS (Boston College)
As things stand right now, the Panthers will be going into training camp looking at Da’Norris Searcy and Rashaan Gaulden competing for the starting free safety role next to Eric Reid; unless they saw things from Gaulden last season in practice to think he is a much better player than the general perception, that is not a good place to be. If the board doesn’t fall in a way that allows them to go safety earlier, Denis can come in and compete to start from day one, and while he isn’t perfect, his athleticism and ball skills are certainly intriguing.
154th Overall: James Williams, RB (Washington State)
Another thing the Panthers have talked about is finding a player to rotate in with Christian McCaffrey in order to limit the number of snaps he sees – they have suggested that they would like to find a player with a similar skillset. Williams is obviously not the player that McCaffrey is, but he does do a lot of similar things, being a good receiver in the backfield with the ability to make plays in space.
187th Overall: Nate Herbig, OG (Stanford)
The Panthers look to add some depth on the interior with this pick, and while Herbig is probably never going to be a plus starter, he offers another depth piece inside with the ability to contribute as an earth-mover in short yardage situations.
Up Next: Pass Rusher Early, You Say?
