The Carolina Panthers had a successful 2016 season finishing one game shy of world championship. Carolina will hold the 30th selection in this years draft with some work to do in order to return to the Super Bowl this upcoming season.
The Panthers were pretty quite this offseason as they have retained much of squad from the prior season. Josh Norman was franchise tagged which pretty much wrapped up their offseason activity to this point. With the 30th overall pick the Panthers could realistically look towards both sides of the ball in the first round.
Carolina’s biggest need remains along the offensive line. Guard Amini Silatolu remains a free agent as he was the starting guard for much of last season. Some options in the first round could include Tackles Jason Spriggs and Germain Ifedi. There are a number of quality guards that can be had later in the draft including Cody Whitehair of Kansas State who could be a nice fit in Carolina.
Another direction the team could go with is Alabama’s Derrick Henry. The former Bama workhorse could create an interesting dynamic with Mike Tolbert along with Cam Newton’s rushing ability. Henry could also be a nice fit for Denver if Carolina passes on him. Some other power backs that also fit the mold include Jordan Howard and Jonathan Williams.
Panthers Draft Picks:
First round: 30th overall selection
Second round: 63nd overall selection
Third round: 93rd overall selection
Fourth round: 129th overall selection
Fifth round: 168th overall selection
Sixth round: Traded pick to Chicago for Allen
Seventh round: 252nd overall selection
