Panthers trade for Sam Darnold in 7-round 2021 NFL Mock Draft
By Dean Jones
Tedarrell Slaton – DT (Florida)
The Carolina Panthers defensive front made some encouraging strides as the season went on. Providing Efe Obada is brought back in free agency, they have plenty of options at their disposal to progress even further in 2021.
Tedarrell Slaton makes a ton of sense here and is another player who could end up going higher than this. He is a commanding presence on the interior who possesses the sort of power at the point of attack that is going to make a smooth and impressive transition to the pros.
Shi Smith – WR (South Carolina)
Whether the Panthers manage to keep Curtis Samuel around or not, they still need another talented young wide receiver to boost Sam Darnold’s options in this scenario. Shi Smith is no stranger to the team’s fanbase having played his college ball at South Carolina and the playmaker made an eye-catching contribution during Senior Bowl week.
Brandon Zylstra and Pharoh Cooper are free agents this spring and may not be back. Undrafted rookie Omar Bayless also missed the whole campaign with a knee injury, so acquiring Smith here could see some significant involvement from the outset.
Michael Clemons- DE/OLB (Texas A&M)
Another area where the Panthers could use some fresh blood is on their pass-rush. They failed to generate any sort of consistent pressure during the early part of the 2020 season unless it was coming from Brian Burns and even though this improved dramatically down the stretch, getting some additional options wouldn’t be the worst idea in the world.
If Carolina is looking for a work in progress that has some upside, then Michael Clemons could be their guy. He will need to bulk up and improve his fluidity once the prospect gets to the next level. But the Texas A&M edge rusher has the length, motor, and speed to ensure someone takes a chance on him in the later rounds.