First-round pick would make Carolina Panthers NFL Draft history
History will be made should the Carolina Panthers select a player from this position.
Every general manager dreams of making historic selections during the NFL Draft. In turn, all of the players fortunate enough to hear their names called likely hope to put together a Hall of Fame career. The truth is finding a player of this caliber is rare but there are other ways to make history and the Carolina Panthers have an opportunity to do so when on the clock in less than a month.
General manager Marty Hurney and the Panthers have been hard at work reconstructing the roster for the 2019 season. Following the retirements of captains Julius Peppers and Ryan Kalil, in addition to not re-signing linebacker Thomas Davis (another captain) and safety Mike Adams, Carolina definitely has plenty of vacancies to fill.
Free agency began the process, signing former Denver Broncos center Matt Paradis to replace Kalil and defensive end Bruce Irvin for added depth to compete for a position and playing time. Cameron Artis-Payne returning at running back kept the backfield from becoming a forgotten position but one area remains unaddressed.
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Hurney may choose to still add a prominent pass rusher in the first-round, but if the Panthers select a safety – history will be made. Since the teams inception, a player from every position (not including specialist) has been selected with a first-round pick except tight end or safety. Carolina has taken offensive linemen, running backs, receivers, quarterbacks, pass rushers, defensive tackles, linebackers and corners – but no safety to date.
Re-signing Eric Reid secured one position in the back end of the Panthers defense but the vacancy at safety remains an issue. It is the one area Hurney has yet to make any type of move and although the team may be comfortable with current options – Da’Norris Searcy and Rashaan Gaulden, among others, there is a need for an impact payer.
Nothing is definite until the name is called but finding a quality safety who could immediately contribute would be a solid selection. The depth of talent at defensive end also makes finding a pass rusher later in the draft a viable option, however, at safety the options are a bit more limited.
Some potential first-round options include Taylor Rapp (Washington), Deionte Thopmson (Alabama) or Chauncey Gardner-Johnson (Florida), depending on how the draft plays out. Any of these should be able to step in opposite Reid and contribute from Week 1 moving forward.
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Tune in to see if history is made when the NFL Draft takes place in Nashville, beginning on April 25 thru April 27.