Now that Eric Reid is guaranteed to come back to the Panthers, the offensive line should firmly be the team’s top priority to fix this offseason. It’s been a few weeks since we tackled a seven-round mock, so let’s revisit and give this exercise another shot. This time we will use Matt Miller’s board on Fanspeak. With the first two picks, Carolina hits the offensive line hard.
No. 16: Jonah Williams, OL, Alabama
Williams (6-foot-5, 302 pounds) would be a natural fit for the Panthers offensive line and allow the team so much flexibility. With the versatility that Williams is going to bring to the NFL, he can line up at multiple positions and be an above-average starter. That should appeal to Carolina and every other team with needs at more than one offensive line spot.
No. 47: Garrett Bradbury, OG/C, NC State
This Charlotte native would bring a mean streak to the Panthers. Plugging Bradbury in for the offensive line would really help set up Cam Newton and Christian McCaffrey for success. Having both Williams and Bradbury in the fold would set the team up to expand their offense and get back to the dynamic rushing ability they flashed early last season.
No. 77: David Sills, WR, West Virginia
Sills (6-foot-4, 209 pounds) turned a lot of heads during Senior Bowl week and established himself as a very strong wide receiver prospect. In fact, there’s a chance he may not even be around at this pick. Even still, adding a player of Sills’ talent to the group would grow Carolina’s passing offense under Norv Turner and yield a solid replacement for Devin Funchess.
No. 99: Austin Bryant, DE, Clemson
Bryant became sort of the forgotten defensive lineman for the Tigers during their championship run but he still looks like a possible top-100 selection. He could become a regular part of the pass-rush rotation in Carolina along with Mario Addison, Efe Obada and the rest. There won’t be much pressure on Bryant to start immediately and he’ll have the time to develop.
No. 115: Sione Takitaki, LB, BYU
Takitaki has a fun name and a fun game as well. On tape, he makes plays all over the field. He was a shining star down in St. Petersburg for the Shrine Game and earned the call up to the Senior Bowl and continued to elevate his draft stock. Takitaki (6-foot-2, 229 pounds) is able to play in coverage and get after the quarterback as well, so he would bring some flexibility to the Panthers’ defense.
No. 155: Renell Wren, DT, Arizona State
For a possible Day 3 pick, Wren would bring plenty of upside to a Carolina defensive line that is aging a little bit and lacks in depth behind Kawann Short and Dontari Poe, especially with Kyle Love set to become a free agent. Wren looked undersized at Arizona State but weighed in at 310 pounds in Mobile, which should help his outlook. He was very disruptive from his nose guard spot and would be a great rotational piece early on.
No. 189: Marquise Blair, S, Utah
The Panthers may still look at the safety position in the draft, but it may not come until much later now with Eric Reid back and depending on how they feel about Da’Norris Searcy. People are raving about the hitting ability of Blair, who was a huge reason Utah enjoyed the success they did in 2018. Blair looks athletic enough to play special teams and use his tackling ability on kickoffs and punt coverage.
