Plan Two – Pass Rusher Early
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16th Overall: Brian Burns, EDGE (Florida State)
Most draft predictions for the Panthers currently have them taking either an offensive tackle or an edge rusher with their first pick, and while there is probably more value to be had waiting to take an edge rusher on the second day of the draft, if somebody like Burns fell to them, the Panthers would certainly be tempted. Burns does some very nice things as a pass rusher and it is easy to see his value, but his usage is a little less clear. He is very light for a 4-3 defensive end but lacks the experience in space to be a sure-thing as a 3-4 OLB. As the Panthers are expected to play something of a hybrid front, they would likely aim to just get him on the field however they can and ask him to rush the passer.
47th Overall: Dalton Risner, OT (Kansas State)
The flip side of the Panthers going pass rusher from the beginning is that they will then need to find some offensive line help on day two. Like with Williams, it would be something of a surprise to see Risner ever develop into an elite tackle, but he is generally decent on tape with a move inside to guard in the short term also helping his value with the Panthers.
77th Overall: Emanuel Hall, WR (Missouri)
Receiver is far from the biggest need for the Panthers, but having addressed their two biggest needs with their first two picks, the Panthers may well be tempted by Hall here as he has the deep speed and quickness to offer a lot of developmental potential. Given that the Panthers could afford to limit his early playing time, this would likely be a pick for the future as much as anything, but given the Panthers selection of Gaulden last year, it is clear that this is something they are willing to do.
100th Overall: Bryce Love, RB (Stanford)
Bryce Love probably regrets going back to school – an injury and a strong 2019 running back class has seen his standing as a sure-fire top 50 pick all but disappear. However, he does offer a prospective teams a lot of nice things and would be a decent fit as a partner for McCaffrey; it’s still not totally clear when he will be able to return to the field, and so the Panthers will likely have to view his rookie season as something close to a redshirt, but the long term value could well be there if they are willing to be patient.
115th Overall: David Long, CB (Michigan)
The Panthers might not have a need at outside corner right now, but with Bradberry and Cockrell both free agents after the season, that is something that could well be the case in the near future – add to that the Panthers lack of depth at the position and an absence of a natural nickel and taking Long here would make a lot of sense. He wasn’t asked to do much outside of man-press at Michigan – but his tape doing that was good, he’s a solid run defender and he tested well at the combine, all of which makes for good value on the third day of the draft.
154th Overall: David Edwards, S (Kentucky)
Edwards was largely a box safety at Kentucky, but also saw snaps both at nickel and in the deep field and played well, making his role in the NFL somewhat unclear. On the final day of the draft, it will be hard for teams to pass up his combination of solid coverage and run defense. For the Panthers in particular, Edwards would give them yet another name to throw into the ring at both nickel and free safety.
187th Overall: Dontavius Russell, DT/DE (Auburn)
It’s still unclear whether Kyle Love will be back with the Panthers in 2019, but even if he is, the Panthers need to add another 3-tech to allow them to make the most of their new hybrid defense. While Russell is not without need for development, he would be good value at this point of the draft and has the potential to become a useful player for any team looking to run both a 3-4 and a 4-3.
Up Next: The Safety Dance
