Carolina Panthers draft: Is Jaylen Twyman the next Aaron Donald?
By Dean Jones
Jaylen Twyman is a player that the Carolina Panthers draft team should have a close eye on, but could he become the next great interior presence?
Whether the Carolina Panthers draft a defensive tackle this year will be entirely dependent on their approach in free agency over the next couple of weeks. They identified getting veteran players capable of generating pressure in opposing backfields – which is extremely welcome after their struggles early in the campaign – but considering Kawann Short and Zach Kerr are no longer on the team, more will be needed alongside Derrick Brown on the interior.
There are plenty of veterans available thanks in no small to the current financial climate across the league. Teams have made some significant sacrifices in accordance with the eight percent reduction in the salary-cap, so it might see more in the way of activity once the draft has concluded.
If the Panthers choose to go down the college route for a long-term successor to Short, then Jaylen Twyman is a player who represents someone of interest. The Pittsburgh defensive tackle is a human wrecking ball on the interior when it comes to getting after the quarterback and even though opting-out of the 2020 season due to COVID-19 health concerns hurt his stock more than most, the prospect remains one of considerable interest.
Twyman has made no secret of his desire to follow in the footsteps of Los Angeles Rams lineman Aaron Donald, who he described as “my Michael Jordan” on NFL Network and someone he’s modeled his game on over the years.
Donald even gave up some of his time to work with Twyman recently, which was undoubtedly another incredible boost to his development and something that will stand him in good stead once the player gets to the next level.
Will the Carolina Panthers draft Jaylen Twyman?
People may have forgotten just what the prospect is capable of having not seen him on the field for some time. But his exceptional display of power and agility at Pittsburgh’s pro day set pulses racing once again.
Aiming to replicate what Donald has achieved during his time as a professional is the highest of bars to aim for. Twyman is an ambitious young man that has the world at his feet providing his transition to the next level is a smooth one. So looking at the very best in the business for inspiration is a smart way to start your NFL career.
Twyman did nothing to hurt his stock with a tremendous pro day, demonstrating his supreme power and agility during drills. Some project the player to be taken between rounds 3-5, which could end up being a real steal for anyone who lands him.
Pro day stats are the icing on the cake for Twyman, who coupled this with some outstanding production in 2019 that resulted in 10.5 sacks and 12.5 tackles for loss from just 13 games.
Ironically, Donald’s final season at Pittsburgh was also jaw-dropping. He notched a staggering 28.5 tackles for loss and 11 sacks, which was all the Rams needed to see on their way to picking him No. 13 overall in 2014.
And the rest, as they say, is history.
Carolina has a definite need for another young stud on the defensive line despite the recent additions of Morgan Fox, Haason Reddick, and Denzel Perryman to their front seven. Coupling Twyman with Brown has endless potential and although his run support needs some work, there are a lot of similarities between the prospect and Donald from a physical standpoint.
Whether Twyman can become the next Donald and take the NFL by storm remains to be seen. Not playing in 2020 may have cost him a shot at a Day 1 selection, but it’s hard to look at his outstanding attributes and not think he isn’t going to make a team extremely happy moving forward.