Dez Smith'S MOCK DRAFT
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Panthers Playoff Push

  • Dez Smith DRAFTING FOR THE
    Panthers
Draft Selections
Abdul Carter Head Shot
PICK: 8 RND: 1 (CAR)
Abdul Carter
DE-EDGE Penn State
Jalen Royals Head Shot
PICK: 54 RND: 2 (CAR)
Jalen Royals
WR Utah State
Deone Walker Head Shot
PICK: 74 RND: 3 (CAR)
Deone Walker
DT Kentucky
Andrew Mukuba Head Shot
PICK: 110 RND: 4 (CAR)
Andrew Mukuba
S Texas
Barrett Carter Head Shot
PICK: 113 RND: 4 (CAR)
Barrett Carter
LB Clemson
Jake Majors Head Shot
PICK: 139 RND: 5 (CAR)
Jake Majors
C Texas
Nicholas Singleton Head Shot
PICK: 145 RND: 5 (CAR)
Nicholas Singleton
RB Penn State
Dorian Strong Head Shot
PICK: 162 RND: 5 (CAR)
Dorian Strong
CB Virginia Tech
Jake Briningstool Head Shot
PICK: 227 RND: 7 (CAR)
Jake Briningstool
TE Clemson
Draft Grade — Panthers
Overall B
ValueB NeedB+ TradesB- FutureB-
Grand theft in pick 139: the Panthers steal Majors and grade out a B.

Every so often the board makes a mistake, and the Panthers were there to profit. Jake Majors, the No. 93 name on the board, should have been long gone before the 139th pick. It nets out to a B, which feels about right.

The quarterback hole is the one line item this class does not answer. The Royals reach is the anchor dragging on the value grade.

The roster is better shaped than it was, with wide receiver chief among the fixes. The trenches got the money picks, top to bottom.

All told, a solid class that does its job everywhere but quarterback.

Pick Analysis
Pick8 Rnd1 Abdul Carter
In pick No. 8 they get a premier pass rusher. It fills the loudest need on the roster.
Pick54 Rnd2 Jalen Royals
A reach for Jalen Royals in the 54th pick; a little patience would have been rewarded. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
Pick74 Rnd3 Deone Walker
Deone Walker at the Round 3 slot nudges the ledger their way without any fuss. A quiet depth add at a thin-ish spot.
Pick110 Rnd4 Andrew Mukuba
Andrew Mukuba in Round 4, Pick 9 is the kind of fall that makes a whole class. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
Pick113 Rnd4 Barrett Carter
A top-tier linebacker at a bargain, Barrett Carter in pick 113, plain and simple. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
Pick139 Rnd5 Jake Majors
A offensive lineman of that caliber at slot 139 is the definition of value, full stop. A need, and now a little less of one.
Pick145 Rnd5 Nicholas Singleton
They will replay Nicholas Singleton at the 145th overall pick for years; that is how good the value is. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
Pick162 Rnd5 Dorian Strong
No drama and no debate, Dorian Strong went about where he belonged in No. 162. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
Pick227 Rnd7 Jake Briningstool
A tidy bit of business in pick No. 227, where Jake Briningstool graded well above the range. The roster fit checks out.