ROUND 3
69th Overall: Jordan Elliott, DT (Missouri); 6-4, 302 lbs
The other clear need the Panthers have entering the draft besides corner is interior defensive line – and while this class is not super strong at the beginning of Day 2 in that regard, if a player like Elliott is still on the board at this point, that would constitute both a good value and a good fit. Elliott is a good athlete showing both quickness and power – he combines this with good straight arms and flashes of the hand usage to work around blocks and to create leverage as a pass rusher.
92nd Overall: Brycen Hopkins, TE (Purdue); 6-4, 245 lbs
With Greg Olsen gone, it looks as though the Panthers are going to lean on Ian Thomas much more heavily in 2020. While he has shown enough to think that he can be a useful part of an offense, the Panthers could still stand to add another receiving-focused tight end who can work in tandem with Thomas. Hopkins might not be the most physical tight end ever, but he is an excellent route runner with elite quickness and change of direction, and a remarkable understanding of how to manipulate leverage. While his blocking does need some work, he has shown that he can be effective in that regard in a directional blocking scheme similar to that the Panthers are expected to run.
106th Overall: Bryan Edwards, WR (South Carolina); 6-3, 212 lbs
As well as needing to add receivers in order to cope with the move to more of a quick-passing-focused offense under Joe Brady, the Panthers could also look to add receivers who can work underneath against man coverage, in order to allow the likes of Moore, Samuel and Anderson to focus on doing what they do best by working further down the field. On top of that, the Panthers could also look to add some size at receiver – while this isn’t a problem most of the time, having some more size on the outside could be of use in the red zone, an area where they have struggled of late. Bryan Edwards would help in both regards. He gets off the line really well against press, runs excellent routes allowing him to consistently separate underneath, is good after the catch, is great at the catch point and has enough speed to offer something of a vertical threat.
Love this idea. It’s simple math. The more picks you have the less you risk wasting a high pick on a bust. We need more than just another star. We need depth. That’s what wins in the NFL.