The Carolina Panthers have made three picks, but they still have plenty more holes that need to be filled.
The Carolina Panthers hopped all over the board on Day 2 of the NFL Draft and ultimately came away with running back Jonathon Brooks and linebacker Trevin Wallace to go along with first round pick Xavier Legette. After all the trades, the Panthers go into Day 3 with four picks at spots 101, 157, 200, and 240.
The Panthers have plenty of needs left to fill, and they’ll likely throw some darts to get some competition at some of those position. That said, the odds of any particular planning out from this draft range are small, so these picks are true lottery tickets rather than realistic attempts at starting caliber players. Here are the positions the Panthers should try to target:
Edge Rusher
The Panthers have tried to plug their pass rushing hole with a bevy of free agent signings, but that can’t work forever (if it even works at all). You probably can’t realistically hope for more than a rotational guy on Day 3, but the Panthers need those guys. Austin Booker is ESPN’s top rated EDGE on the board, and the Panthers had him in for a top 30 visit, so he’s very much in play.
Cornerback
The Panthers have oft injured Jaycee Horn leading the bunch and a couple of veteran band-aids behind him. The position needs more talent. TJ Tampa is still on the board, and a lot of people expected him to go as high as the second round. There are several big corners projected to go off the board in the coming rounds, and Caelen Carson, who has been lightly linked to the Panthers because of some of his comments, is still out there.
Center/Interior Offensive Line
The Panthers theoretically have their offensive line set for next season, but every team needs offensive line depth, and the Panthers need a contingency/succession plan for center Austin Corbett. There aren’t any reported top 30 visits with any interior offensive linemen left on the board, so it’s anybody’s guess as to the Panthers would have interest in. There are some names out there that have borderline eventual starter potential.
Defensive Line
There aren’t really any prototypical nose tackles projected to go in the early part of Day 3, but there are a few guys out there that could fit as 3-4 defensive ends. More depth is needed here to take some pressure off Derrick Brown.
Tight End
The Panthers have a rotation of mediocrity at the tight end position. They had a visit with Texas’s Ja’Tavion Sanders, who is arguably the top tight end still on the board. Another athlete at this position would be good to have, especially if they’re a threat as a pass catcher.
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