It’s finally here. This Thursday evening marks the beginning of the 2019 NFL draft, meaning mock draft season is coming to a close and the 2020 draft cycle is soon to begin.
Let’s run through one last seven-round mock scenario for the Carolina Panthers, via Fanspeak using their composite board.
No. 16: Clelin Ferrell, Edge, Clemson
Draft analysts are really starting to settle in on Ferrell being a very strong candidate to be the Panthers’ pick at No. 16 overall. It’s not difficult to see why. Selecting a solid edge prospect like Ferrell right away gives them their pass rusher of their future and a chance at potentially finding the next Julius Peppers.
No. 47: Chauncey Gardner-Johnson, S, Florida
Gardner-Johnson is a rising safety prospect that looks to be an excellent value here in round two, as he has been garnering round one buzz of late. To start the draft off by hitting edge and safety is about as good as it can get for the Panthers. Carolina’s passing defense will only improve when it gets better both up front and on the back end.
No. 77: Michael Deiter, OL, Wisconsin
Carolina’s offensive line has several positions that could use an upgrade. That makes Deiter extra valuable, because he has experience playing three spots. During his time at Wisconsin, he played center, left guard and left tackle. He earned first team All-Big Ten honors at left guard last season and at left tackle the year before. He’d be a big improvement over either Chris Clark or Greg Van Roten.
No. 100: Riley Ridley, WR, Georgia
This is another value pick here. The Panthers add some more play-making ability to the wide receiver group with Calvin Ridley’s younger brother. Like Calvin, he’s got great route running ability but he also has better hands. Ridley has also been getting some first-round buzz lately. If he’s still there at No. 100, he’d be a steal for any team.
No. 115: Daylon Mack, DT, Texas A&M
The Panthers re-signed veteran Kyle Love to keep their defensive tackle depth up to standard, but the team could use someone to replace Dontari Poe next year. Mack is certainly strong and athletic enough to do just that. Last season, he posted 5.5 sacks and 10 tackles for a loss for the Aggies.
No. 154: William Sweet, OT, North Carolina
Picking Sweet in this spot is a bit of a gamble with the pool pretty much dried up at offensive tackle, especially for a player that suffered a torn ACL in 2017. However, it would give the Panthers a much-needed extra tackle on the roster behind Michael Deiter, Taylor Moton and Daryl Williams.
No. 187: Brett Rypien, QB, Boise State
It’ll be interesting to see if the Panthers actually pick a quarterback like Will Grier much earlier as rumored. In this case, we’ll go ahead and add Rypien to the mix to compete for Cam Newton’s backup spot with Taylor Heinicke and Kyle Allen.
