ESPN analyst Mel Kiper Jr. has the Panthers selecting Auburn defensive tackle Derrick Brown with the No. 7 overall pick in his latest mock draft.
On an hour-long conference call with reporters Wednesday, Kiper said that you could make a case for Brown being the third-best overall player in the draft. He said the biggest reason why Brown wouldn't go higher is that most of the teams selecting above Carolina have greater needs at other positions.
"I can't see a spot earlier for him," Kiper said. "The Chargers (No. 6 pick) are going to look (at) quarterback. Miami (No. 5 pick) is going to look (at) quarterback. The Giants (No. 4 pick) have to take either (Clemson linebacker Isaiah Simmons) or an offensive tackle. For the Lions (No. 3 pick), it's way too high. I'd say it's Carolina. ... He would be a good pick for Carolina at 7."
Brown, 6-foot-5 and 318 pounds, would fill one of the Panthers' many needs. Carolina is thin up front on defense. Three starters from last season _ Gerald McCoy, Dontari Poe and Vernon Butler _ are not returning.
Brown is considered the top defensive tackle in the 2020 draft after starting the past three seasons at Auburn, where he had 159 tackles, 32 tackles for loss and 12 sacks. Last season, he totaled 55 tackles, 12.5 tackles for loss, two forced fumbles and four pass deflections.
"You could make an argument he's the third-best player in this draft," Kiper said. "I don't have him third on the board right now. You could say, 'Well, (I) don't think Joe Burrow is an elite quarterback. You have to put Chase Young up there, I would believe. Then one of the quarterbacks, Burrow, I don't know about Tua (Tagovailoa) with the injury ... but if not Burrow, you have (Ohio State cornerback Jeff) Okudah and Simmons. And you say, 'Well, Simmons is versatile,' but you know Derrick Brown is a wrecker up front. So you can make an argument third-best, maybe fourth-best player, and (Carolina) is picking seventh. That's a pretty good option to have."
_ Kiper thinks the Panthers will draft a cornerback in the second round.
In his latest mock draft, he had Carolina going after LSU's Kristian Fulton, but on the conference call, he also favored another Ohio State corner who played opposite Okudah.
"Do you look at a cover guy like Kristian Fulton from LSU? You could be looking at that particular point at a guy that I think is a really underrated player," Kiper said. "Jeff Okudah talked about it when he came on with us (Tuesday): 'Where is Damon Arnette gonna go?' "
Kiper has Arnette going with the No. 46 overall pick to Denver but didn't seem to rule out the Panthers taking him several spots earlier at No. 38.
"Damon Arnette's going to be an early second round (pick)," Kiper said. "Some people think first (round), coming out of Ohio State. When you play opposite a great corner, you're going to get a lot of opportunities. People are going to target you and he held up really well opposite Jeff Okudah."
_ Kiper also spoke highly of two Charlotte 49ers players who could be drafted: Defensive end Alex Highsmith and offensive lineman Cameron Clark (the Observer was unable to ask about 49ers running back Benny LeMay).
Here's Kiper on Clark: "I think he's a guy on Day 3 who could maybe have a chance to make a football team and maybe be a little bit better than advertised."
On Highsmith: "If you're looking for a real steal, a real find, I really like Highsmith. I wrote him up ... early in the year as a guy who could be a nice factor in the NFL coming off the edge."
