Carolina Panthers: 2020 NFL Draft Needs

2020 NFL Draft Needs for the Carolina Panthers

April 23rd - April 25th

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The Carolina Panthers dealt with many issues and controversies including the Cam Newton saga, and one of the more porous defenses in the league. Not to mention a head coach firing, and the waste of the best running back in the league, Christian McCaffery.

Draft Picks:

The Panthers own one pick of every round in the 2020 NFL Draft. They could use one or more of these draft picks in a trade to bring in ‘NFL ready’ players for the 2020 season.

The Panther’s defense struggled, plain and simple. They were ranked 31st in the NFL in points given up per game, with the Miami Dolphins being the only team worse. Their rushing defense was 29th in the league, giving up 143.5 yards per game. Their secondary played virtually well, as they were around the league average in yards allowed per game.

The Panthers offense was Christian McCaffery, the one-man show/wrecking crew that demolished opposing defenses with his ability to run and catch the football at insane rates. The passing game was led mostly by Kyle Allen, who had his moments early on, but fizzled out towards the end of the season. Even with the amazing skill of CMC, the Panthers still struggled with their offensive line play. With an improved OL, McCaffery could be downright unstoppable as he is almost at that point already. The Panthers will most likely look to OL Jedrick Wills (Alabama) in the first round to strengthen a pretty weak offensive line.

In the second and third rounds, Carolina will need to look to improve their defensive line as again, the rush defense was terrible and the main reason why the defense struggled so badly. DL Raekwon Davis (Alabama) would be a good fit for Carolina in round 2 in order for them to fill their holes on the D-Line. In the third round, someone like DT Rashard Lawrence (LSU) or DT Marlon Davidson (Auburn) would be sufficient as well.

In the later rounds, Carolina needs to find a kicker, as Joey Slye just is not cutting it. PK Rodrigo Blankenship (Georgia) would be a good fifth or sixth-round pick for Carolina, as he was very accurate in college for the Bulldogs.

Carolina has some pieces like McCaffery on offense and Luke Kuechly on defense that they can build upon in the very near future. Whether it is Kyle Allen, Will Grier or even the unlikely Cam Newton at quarterback, the Panthers have options and can also explore different directions. They should not be in the cellar for too long, but in a very tough NFC South division, anything goes.