The Carolina Panthers recently gave safety Eric Reid a three-year contract extension, finally solidifying an investment in the position with a player in his prime. Backup Damian Parms has also been re-signed for the 2019 season. However, veteran Mike Adams has been told that he won’t be brought back and will be allowed to become a free agent in a couple weeks.
Replacing Adams with a potential long-term starter at safety is something the Panthers should think long and hard about for this upcoming NFL draft. In a new four-round mock by Luke Easterling at Draft Wire, Carolina does just that by picking Florida’s Chauncey Gardner-Johnson with their second-round pick (No. 47 overall).
One thing Gardner-Johnson (six-foot, 208 pounds) would bring to the table is ball skills: he posted nine interceptions and 12 pass breakups in three years at college. He’s also tallied a high number of tackles for a loss for a safety, with 15 in his last two seasons.
Let’s take a look at the tape.
Gardner-Johnson vs. Michigan
Gardner-Johnson vs. LSU
Gardner-Johnson vs. Missouri
If he’s there at No. 47, the Panthers could certainly do a lot worse.
