5 high-value draft picks the Carolina Panthers could steal in 2021
By Dean Jones
Joseph Ossai – DE/OLB (Texas)
As stated previously, the Carolina Panthers signed Haason Reddick and Morgan Fox to boost their pass-rush in 2021. This is an area where they struggled over the first half of the campaign before coming on strong down the stretch and there is every chance this unit can hit the ground running next time around with better options available.
With that being said, the more options they have in getting after the quarterback, the better. General manager Scott Fitterer is keen to go into the draft with the capability of picking the best player available and if Joseph Ossai falls out of the top-two rounds, then it is an option well worth considering.
The Texas standout has everything one looks for in a successful pass-rusher at the next level. Ossai’s superb physical attributes are matched by eye-catching explosiveness that resulted in 10.5 sacks and a phenomenal 29 tackles for loss over his final two years with the Longhorns.
Ossai is just scratching the surface of his potential and there is plenty of room for growth once he gets to the next level. If the Panthers end up using Reddick as a defensive end and Morgan in the three-technique, then putting the incoming prospect behind them in specialist situations would be a tremendous asset to call upon.