Panthers 2021 Draft: Studs and duds from Day 1 at Senior Bowl
By Dean Jones
Carlos Basham – DE (Wake Forest)
It didn’t take long for Carlos Basham to catch the eye during Senior Bowl practice. The edge rusher is a supreme physical specimen who has the talent to match, so there will have been plenty of NFL scouts watching his approach and production closely when he took the field in Mobile.
Basham was a relentless force on the line of scrimmage and gave offensive linemen a significant amount of difficulty throughout team drills. He also looked the part during the individual portion of the workout, which is hardly surprising given his exceptional athletic traits.
If the Carolina Panthers are looking to boost their pass-rush this offseason, then they could do worse than look at the Wake Forest stud. Basham has all the traits one looks for in a successful pass-rusher at the next level and putting him on a rotation that also includes Brian Burns and Yetur Gross-Matos would be incredible to watch.
Whether the Panthers are looking to strengthen this particular area of the field early in the 2021 NFL Draft with more pressing needs elsewhere is another matter. Basham might be a late first or early second-round selection on current projections, which would make it difficult for Carolina to acquire the prospect if they don’t take him with their opening selection.
No. 8 overall is too high for Basham, but if new general manager Scott Fitterer decides to trade down and acquire more picks, then he will enter the discussion.