171st Overall: Danny Pinter, OL (Ball State); 6-4, 306 lbs
While the Panthers do have a backup center in Tyler Larsen, he struggled last preseason and they could save some cap space by moving on. Pinter has only played OL for 2 years after converting from TE, but played really quite well at RT for Ball State last year with excellent technique for a player new to the position, and could be a intriguing option if converted to center, where his hand usage would be highly valuable.
ROUND 6
189th Overall: Derrek Tuszka, EDGE (North Dakota State); 6-5, 251 lbs
The Panthers have a pair of young edge rushers in Burns and Miller to go with a number of career rotation pieces – but they could do with adding some more long-term pieces at the position. Tuszka might not be the flashiest of athletes, but his quickness and agility are really excellent and in combination with his good pad level and hand usage, he has a chance to be a really valuable rotational pass rusher.
ROUND 7
221st Overall: JJ Taylor, RB (Arizona); 5-5, 185lbs
The Panthers don’t have a huge need at running back, but Taylor is really good and the seventh round is taking shot on talent – while his size will likely prevent him from being a full-time starter, this isn’t what the Panthers are looking for. While Taylor is unlikely to be a key piece going forward, he can be really effective as a rotation back who gets downhill in a hurry but can also split out wide and run routes in space.
223rd Overall: Cole McDonald, QB (Hawaii); 6-3, 215 lbs
The Panthers are looking at a backuup quarterback battle between PJ Walker and Will Grier, but with the expansion of the roster under the new CBA, there should also be space for a developmental QB behind the eventual winner. McDonald needs quite a lot of work, but the talent is evident on tape, and that kind of a gamble is far easier to justify in the later rounds than it might be earlier in the draft.
225th Overall: Jared Mayden, S (Alabama); 6-0, 205 lbs
With Colin Jones now gone, the Panthers could do with adding some versatile depth in the secondary with the ability to play special teams. Mayden spent much of his early career at Alabama as a special teamer and can play both big nickel and safety. He’s not going to be a high-level starter at the NFL level, but he can cover multiple positions and is good enough that if he does see the field, it isn’t the end of the world.
240th Overall: Thakarius Keyes, CB (Tulane); 6-1, 202 lbs
Cornerback is another position where it seems likely that the Panthers will add a veteran in free agency the draft, but even if they do, they are dangerously thin at the position and could do with developmental depth if nothing else. Keyes needs some work and it will likely take time before he is ready to see the field, but his combination of length, movement skills and physicality gives him the upside to merit the time investment.
248th Overall: Earnest Edwards, WR (Maine); 5’10 175 lbs
I’ve tried to be brief when talking about most of these later round picks – even in a quarantine, there is only so much time in the world – but it is worth taking a moment to talk about Earnest Edwards.
In terms of the fit with the Panthers’ needs, while the Panthers have now got a fair number of options at receiver, one thing they don’t yet have is a player who can be a really effective underneath option in the slot, something that Joe Brady made a real point of emphasizing last season at LSU. While Edwards was used in a fairly varied way at Maine, where he looks most dangerous in an NFL context would be working to separate underneath in man coverage where his exceptional agility and change of speeds allowed him to create momentary separation with subtle changes of speed and direction. He has pretty good speed and good hands as well, but he could be a nightmare to deal with a possession slot receiver in Brady’s system – at the very least, he could be worth a late-round flyer and a practice squad slot.
250th Overall: Rashod Berry, TE/FB (Ohio State); 6-3, 263 lbs
While the Panthers already have two specialist blockers on the roster in Armah and Manhertz, neither have been hugely impressive in recent years and a new coaching staff might want to try a new face in this role. Berry came to Ohio State as a defensive end and left as one of the best blocking tight ends in college football. Plus, he once did this:
Listen – the Panthers aren’t going to trade down five times – but hopefully, this has provided an insight into the advantages of trading down early in a rebuild, the depth of talent available in the 2020 draft, and how this might play into the solution of the Panthers many needs.
By having an open mind and valuing depth over specific names and needs, I was able to put together a draft class that immediately improves the secondary, helps add depth on both the offensive and defensive lines with a couple of possible starters in the mix, adds some high-upside pass-catchers and throws a flyer at a late-round quarterback to develop.
With so many needs and a couple of years to get better, this is exactly the kind of class the Panthers need.
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.