Carolina Panthers: Mock draft 2.0
By Tim Weaver
The Carolina Panthers addressed some of their needs in free agency, now they will look to the draft to round out their roster.
In our first seven round mock draft a few weeks ago we had the Panthers picking Clemson defensive end Kevin Dodd with their number 30 overall pick.
Since then Dodd’s draft stock has gone up a bit, so there’s a chance he won’t be available anymore.
Also, Carolina has added a couple of free agents that should change how they approach the draft. With that in mind, here is our second full seven round mock of the year.
Round 1: Pick 30: Noah Spence – Eastern Kentucky DE
Why the Carolina Panthers need him:
Dave Gettleman favors the best player available approach. As it happens, the biggest need for the Carolina Panthers is another edge rusher and there’s a good chance that at number 30 the best choice will be a DE.
Spence is a fierce pass rusher who put up 7.5 sacks and 14 tackles for a loss in 2013 with Ohio State. He then transferred to Eastern Kentucky after being banned from the Big Ten following a few failed drug tests. As a big fish in a small pond, he dominated the Ohio Valley Conference and finished 2015 with 11.5 sacks and 22.5 tackles for a loss.
Highlights:
The good:
“Fluid, balanced athlete with smooth lateral quickness and change of direction ability to avoid blocks. Gets upfield quickly with his first step burst and closes fast, staying low to the ground with above average coordination.” -CBS Sports
The bad:
“Needs to improve his snap discipline and anticipation. Needs to show heavier hands to jolt blockers at the point of attack, struggling to consistently convert speed to power.” -CBS Sports
Measurables:
Next: A local wide receiver