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Panthers Senior Bowl meetings reveal NFL Draft focus

By Brandon Scott

MOBILE, AL - JANUARY 27: Josh Allen #17 of the North team throws the ball during the first half of the Reese's Senior Bowl against the the South team at Ladd-Peebles Stadium on January 27, 2018 in Mobile, Alabama. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)
MOBILE, AL - JANUARY 27: Josh Allen #17 of the North team throws the ball during the first half of the Reese's Senior Bowl against the the South team at Ladd-Peebles Stadium on January 27, 2018 in Mobile, Alabama. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images) /
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The Carolina Panthers met with a number of potential prospects last week at the Reese’s Senior Bowl…

As the Carolina Panthers prepare for the upcoming NFL Draft their focus is to improve on a recently completed 11-5 season. The Panthers dominated outside of their division but struggled against rivals New Orleans and Atlanta. Carolina lost only six games all year but four came against the Saints and Falcons.

The country’s top NFL prospects gathered in Mobile, Alabama over the past week and NFL executives, scouts and coaches got an opportunity to meet with their future players, most for the first time. The Panthers were no different, visiting with a number of prospects during the week as interim general manager Marty Hurney and coach Ron Rivera prepare their draft board for April.

Carolina needs to have an obvious focus on the future with their upcoming draft as many critical members of their current roster are nearing retirement. Julius Peppers, Thomas Davis, Derek Anderson, Charles Johnson, Ryan Kalil, Greg Olsen and Jonathan Stewart all have over a decade of experience and are in need of serviceable replacements sooner rather than later.

For this reason, the Panthers should focus on finding players who can not only provide serviceable reps early in their careers but also learn from the experienced veterans currently on the roster. If Hurney proves capable of finding the right combination, his picks from 2018 will not only help push the Panthers toward their first Lombardi Trophy but also allow the franchise to be built for future success.

In an effort to prepare for both, the Panthers Senior Bowl prospect meetings reflected this preparation. Over the past week in Mobile, Carolina brass met with the following players.

OFFENSE:

QB – Josh Allen, Wyoming – Mike White, Western Kentucky
RB/TE – Jaylen Samuels, NC State
TE – Mike Gesicki, Penn State – Ian Thomas, Indiana
WR – Byron Pringle, Kansas State
OT – Tyrell Crosby, Oregon

DEFENSE:

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LB – Micha Kiser, Virginia – Nick DeLuca, NDSU – Mike McCray, Michigan
DE – Da’Shawn Hand, Alabama – Tyquan Lewis, Ohio State – Jalyn Holmes, Ohio State
DT – Justin Jones, NC State
S – Kyzir White, West Virginia

Depending on what the Panthers elect to do with current free agents, defensive tackle Star Lotulelei and guard Andrew Norwell their draft focus could change but according to their Senior Bowl meetings a few key positions are of the utmost importance.

A backup quarterback for the future behind Cam Newton, someone to take over for Olsen at tight end and defensive help at linebacker or end in addition to safety, where others are soon to be hanging up their cleats are obvious areas of concern.

Next: 2018 Senior Bowl Prospects to Watch

Entering a pivotal offseason, the Panthers are now arguably faced with their most important draft since the team’s inception.

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