Te’von Coney would be a great value pick for Carolina Panthers

ARLINGTON, TEXAS - DECEMBER 29: Te'von Coney #4 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish reacts after a play in the third quarter against the Clemson Tigers during the College Football Playoff Semifinal Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic at AT&T Stadium on December 29, 2018 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
ARLINGTON, TEXAS - DECEMBER 29: Te'von Coney #4 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish reacts after a play in the third quarter against the Clemson Tigers during the College Football Playoff Semifinal Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic at AT&T Stadium on December 29, 2018 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

The Carolina Panthers would be wise to scoop him up if he is available.

As the mock drafts continue to flow, more players are linked to the Carolina Panthers. With several positions to fill during the draft, it is fair to say that the Panthers will be active on draft day. Luke Easterling of DraftWire.com, put together a full seven-round mock draft. For the Panthers, their second-round pick is perhaps the one that is most intriguing.

Te’von Coney, the linebacker from Notre Dame is listed as the Panthers projected pick at No. 47. Looking at it from a just a positional perspective, the Panthers will need someone to fill the void left by Thomas Davis. Linebacker has become a very important position for this team moving forward. Sure, the Panthers have Luke Kuechly headlining the position. It is safe to say his career in the National Football League has turned out pretty well. However, the options after Kuechly are pretty slim in terms of depth.

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David Mayo performed well following the departure of AJ Klein. In 2018, he tallied 14 tackles, which was a career-high for him. Ben Jacobs recorded six tackles last season for Carolina, matching his total from 2017. Although Mayo performed well, the Panthers need another guy who could step in and potentially play right away. Coney could fill that role.

Coney totaled 123 tackles in 2018 for Notre Dame, eclipsing his career-high of 116 in 2017.  2017 was a great year for him as he recorded 11.5 sacks in addition to the tackles. He showed his versatility in 2017 and as a result, he was ranked highly statistically. Out of the independent programs in college football, Coney was tops in solo tackles, assisted tackles and total tackles. He would be a great find for Carolina, particularly in the second round.

Coney relies on his footwork and technique quite a bit. That is not a bad thing, as he can still get to the quarterback fairly quickly. At 6-foot-1, 240 pounds, Coney is the perfect size for the linebacker position. He certainly has some muscle to him, but he’s also not tall to the point where it could be a hindrance and slow him down. He can get low to the ground, and that is particularly helpful when making tackles.

If he is available for the Panthers selection in the second round, they should definitely consider taking him. He would certainly be a value pick. The Panthers desperately need to get younger at the linebacker position, and they need someone who is an impact player. Coney checks both of those boxes. If Carolina took him, he would bring immediate playmaking ability and impact to the linebacker position. The Panthers would be happy with a player of his caliber.

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