In the end, the Panthers went 7-for-7 on defense with their picks in the 2020 NFL draft. Their last selection of the day (No. 221 overall) was used on Florida International University cornerback Stantley Thomas-Oliver III.
Thomas-Oliver is a converted wide receiver who gives Carolina an infusion of size at the cornerback position. He checks in at 6-foot-1, 192 pounds.
After switching over to defensive back in 2018, Thomas-Oliver totaled two interceptions, 18 pass breakups, two sacks, seven tackles for a loss and 65 solo tackles. At the combine, he ran a 4.48 second 40-yard dash, keeping with theme of speed on defense that we’ve seen all weekend.
It’s difficult to say at this point exactly where Thomas-Oliver will fit in on defense with so many of the new pieces being positionless. Our best guess is he will serve as one of the backups for either Donte Jackson or fourth-round pick Troy Pride Jr. on the outside.
