Carolina Panthers Draft: It’s either defense or offensive line in Round 1
Make no mistake about it, when the Carolina Panthers are on the clock with the No. 7 overall pick, it should be used on the best available defensive player or offensive lineman.
For months now so far this offseason, the general consensus is that the Carolina Panthers will primarily focus on addressing their defensive woes in the 2020 NFL Draft. It remains to be seen how they’ll use each draft pick to improve their roster but it’s expected they’ll be a heavy focus on drafting defensive players.
As of this moment, the Panthers have eight draft picks in their arsenal. One can see them possibly using three or even four of those draft picks just on defensive players. Some even suggest they invest even more than that as they’re currently rebuilding towards a better future and defense is where it’s at. The Panthers have major areas of need on their interior defensive line, linebacker, and at cornerback. Address those areas and the Panthers will be better sooner rather than later.
On the other side of the spectrum, they do have a few areas on offense that aren’t all that huge of a priority with the exception of their offensive line, specifically at guard. The Panthers spent much of free agency focused on the offense but could use a bit more help on the offensive line.
The Carolina Panthers should focus on either DL/OL in Round 1
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In the grand scheme of things, if you want to win a plethora of football games, it’s all about winning the battle of the trenches. A strong offensive line opens up so many points of attack that it can transform a team from good to great.
If you have an opportunity to draft a stud of an offensive lineman, it’s worth investing in thanks to everything they bring to the table. Could the Panthers consider using the No. 7 overall pick on the best available offensive guard?
Since this year’s draft is just around the corner, there are a ton of mock drafts out there. The majority agree that the Panthers will likely take the best available defensive lineman when they’re on the clock in Round 1. The only other position that would make sense to address besides there would be the offensive line.
Sure, it’s not an all that attractive pick but if by some miracle one of the best offensive lineman available suddenly drops down to No. 7, one can see general manager Marty Hurney make the move. In essence, if the Panthers use this premium draft pick on an offensive lineman, it wouldn’t be the end of the world and would make a ton of football sense.
More. Making the case against a wide receiver in Round 1. light
Overall, one can live with the Panthers taking the best available offensive lineman at No. 7, or even a great run-stopping defensive lineman. If they stick to either of these positional groups, they’ll be setting themselves up nicely for the future. If it’s a cornerback or even a linebacker, that’s also fine. But if it’s another offensive playmaker or even a quarterback, that’s when things start turning south to the point where maybe the players aren’t the only problem with the franchise.