Carolina Panthers 7-round 2021 mock draft brings playoff potential
By Dean Jones
Round No. 3 (Pick No. 73)
Kelvin Joseph – CB (Kentucky)
The Carolina Panthers boosted their cornerback options with the free-agent signing of A.J. Bouye. The former Pro Bowler brings bags of experience to a position of depth, but he will be missing the first two games of the season through suspension and depth is a real problem if Troy Pride Jr. and Stantley Thomas-Oliver don’t make strides in the coming weeks.
Identifying a top prospect like Jaycee Horn or Patrick Surtain with a potential trade-down is not out of the question. However, if they’d decide to sort out their protection first, then a couple of intriguing options might be available in Round 3 that could make their presence felt from the word go.
Kelvin Joseph is someone who fits the bill. The former Kentucky star certainly looks the part even if he is still a little rough around the edges. But at least from a physical standpoint, there is a lot for the coaching staff to work with.
Joseph has tremendous size for an outside corner, which is matched by a length that makes him a force to be reckoned with during contested catches. There isn’t much to go off from a production standpoint, so any team who takes him will be doing so on potential and upside alone.
Make no mistake, Joseph has plenty of both. And the presence of Bouye would take some of the immediate pressure off once he gets into the lineup after Week 2.