The Carolina Panthers have clearly made improving their defensive line the top priority in this draft class.
With their first pick on Thursday night, they selected Auburn’s Derrick Brown at No. 7 overall, who is the consensus best defensive tackle this year. In the second round, the team doubled up by taking Penn State defensive end Yetur Gross-Matos at No. 38 overall.
These aren’t exactly flashy picks, but they will help rebuild a unit that was decimated by free agent losses this year. One guy who approves of the picks is star defensive tackle Kawann Short, who had this to say on Twitter.
Short has reason to be happy. If the Panthers hadn’t added these two, he and Brian Burns likely would have seen plenty of double teams in 2020.
After missing most of the 2019 season due to a shoulder injury, Short is projected to come back and resume his role as the leader of the defensive line. Expect to see a starting four-man front consisting of Burns, Short, Brown and Gross-Matos.
