5 lively outsiders for the Panthers first round pick in 2021
By Dean Jones
Which college prospects could be lively outsiders for the Carolina Panthers’ first-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft this spring?
Excitement is already building for the 2021 NFL Draft for those fanbases who are no longer in Super Bowl contention. The evaluation process is now well underway as teams look to boost their chances with the next great college prospect and the Carolina Panthers are no exception to this with new general manager Scott Fitterer now at the helm.
Fitterer comes with a big reputation for finding strong talent in the draft during his time at the Seattle Seahawks. Couple this with head coach Matt Rhule’s extensive knowledge of the college game and the Panthers coaching at the 2021 Senior Bowl this year and it could result in another exceptional draft from Carolina’s perspective.
Things look far different this year due to COVID-19 restrictions, so getting the chance to work with some players up close in Mobile, Alabama is going to be a tremendous asset to call upon when it’s time for decisions to be made.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at five prospects who could become lively outsiders for Carolina’s first-round pick in 2021.
Carolina Panthers Prospect No. 1
Alex Leatherwood – OT (Alabama)
Scott Fitterer highlighted his desire to build through the trenches in his opening presser. The Carolina Panthers have a nice defensive front from which to build a potential contender, but the same cannot be said on the offensive side of the ball.
There appears to be some doubt about the future of each starter on the protection in 2020. This makes bringing in additional reinforcements during the 2021 NFL Draft a top priority and it wouldn’t be a big shock if Carolina went in this direction if the top three quarterbacks are off the board.
Alex Leatherwood has flown up draft boards this season after starring for Alabama in their convincing national championship campaign. He is versatile enough to play as a tackle or on the interior and he’ll get a good chance to stake his claim further at the Senior Bowl working with the Panthers coaching staff.