Plan Four – The Left Field Line
16th Overall: Jerry Tillery, DE/DT (Notre Dame)
OK, so hear me out. The Panthers have continued to hint that they really are going through with the idea of a hybrid defense; if anything, they are maybe going to go more towards a 3-4 than a 4-3. With that in mind, the Panthers really need to add 3-techniques who can rush the passer, with Kawann Short being the only one on the roster currently. Tillery’s NFL position isn’t totally clear, but what is clear is that he is a very good pass rusher, with excellent hand usage and surprising athleticism. For the Panthers, he would be able to offer immediate value as a 4-3 DT, 3-4 DE and maybe even 4-3 DE in obvious rushing situations.
47th Overall: Chris Lindstrom, OG (Boston College)
Having signed Matt Paradis in free agency, the Panthers’ biggest need on the offensive line has now likely shifted to tackle, but with the top tier tackles likely off the board by this stage, the Panthers may well look to get the better player rather than the biggest need. Lindstrom would likely be the favorite to win the Week 1 starting LG role with the Panthers; while the absolute upside might not be the same as that of some of the more developmental tackles, it is hard to pass on good offensive line prospects.
77th Overall: Darnell Savage, DB (Maryland)
There is something of a debate about whether Savage will play nickel or free safety in the NFL, but given that the Panthers could do with adding one of each, that is likely a debate they are willing to have in training camp. Savage is another prospect who might benefit with some time to develop before seeing the field, but it is hard to ignore his upside.
100th Overall: Tytus Howard, OT (Alabama State)
Talking about those developmental tackles, one player the Panthers have brought in for a visit is Alabama State’s Tytus Howard. He is definitely not going to be seen as a starter for 2019 by most teams, but he is a good athlete and if teams think that he is teachable, they could view him as the long-term option at either tackle spot.
115th Overall: Christian Miller, EDGE (Alabama)
Having passed on what is seen to be one of their bigger needs to this point, the Panthers would likely be very interested in any edge rusher who falls this far – given the depth of this edge class, many are predicting that Miller may still be on the board at this stage. While he could still do with some development, Miller flashes a very nice set of pass rushing skills but will need to either bulk up and improve as a run defender or to show he can play in coverage at times to maximize his role in the NFL.
154th Overall: Isaiah Johnson, CB (Houston)
The need for a developmental corner has been well established by this point, and Johnson very definitely falls into that category. He has a lot of the attributes that teams look for in a cover 3 corner but there is a long way to go from where he is and where he will need to be to see the field in a consistent way in the NFL. The Panthers have been somewhat linked to a number of longer corners in this draft class – Johnson is another player in that mold who would make some sense at this point.
187th Overall: Ryquell Armstead, RB (Troy)
Another mock, another running back. The Panthers would ideally like to have somebody who can replicate most of what McCaffrey can do if he was to get hurt or if he needs to take some snaps off, but there is a real chance they have to settle for somebody who can do some of what McCaffrey can do and look to replicate him in the aggregate. Armstead does a lot of nice things, and would be good value here, but this shouldn’t be seen as the solution to their running back depth issues.
Up Next: Feel The Hurn
