4 Curtis Samuel clones the Carolina Panthers can target this offseason
By Dean Jones
Dazz Newsome – North Carolina
This is another deep class for wide receivers, so the Carolina Panthers might choose to wait until the mid-rounds and get themselves a high-impact player with bags of potential. If this eventually becomes their avenue of choice, then Dazz Newsome is a prospect that fits the bill.
The player is no stranger to the area having played his college football at North Carolina, where he put up some tremendous numbers over a four-year period. Newsome can work on the outside, in the slot, as a running back, and even in the kick-return game, which the Panthers are now losing with Curtis Samuel taking his chances on a big-money deal elsewhere.
Newsome thrives out of the slot thanks to his accomplished route-running and superb ball skills. His ability to accumulate yards after the catch is an eye-catching trait that will serve the player well at the next level and the wideout has a fierce competitive streak that is sure to fit in well with what head coach Matt Rhule is trying to build in Carolina.
Considering how important Samuel was to the offense in 2020, it wouldn’t be the biggest shock in the world to see the Panthers address his replacement on day two of the draft. Newsome is expected to go somewhere in this region and there is a lot to like about his potential to come into the league and make his presence felt from the word go.
Replacing Samuel will be hard if last season was any indication. But someone like Newsome would be an instant fan favorite and a player who boasts a lot of the same traits.