5 silent assassins on offense the Panthers could draft in 2021
By Dean Jones
Walker Little – OT (Stanford)
Walker Little is still projected to be an early Day 2 pick during the 2021 NFL Draft, but he seems to be the prospect nobody is really talking about thanks to the standard of offensive tackles coming out of the league this year. However, this should not detract from what an exciting player he might become at the next level, even though there is nothing flashy about the way he goes about his business.
Little was a dependable blindside protector for Davis Mills at Stanford, enabling the quarterback to put together some memorable highlights that have seen his draft stock soar as a result. The tackle possesses a flawless technique and has the length normally associated with an edge presence at the next level, but there are some concerns regarding a relative lack of activity over the last two years that might put teams like the Carolina Panthers off.
The prospect sustained a knee injury in September 2019 and opted out of the 2020 season due to COVID-19 health concerns. This is a long time away from the game competitively for Little, so expecting miracles right away would be unrealistic.
With that being said, providing there are no further complications from an injury standpoint, this would be a shrewd pickup that also comes with a substantial amount of upside. Carolina is in desperate need of a franchise left-tackle moving forward, so they might be able to get their hands on Little if other teams look in a different direction.