4 prospects the Panthers missed out on during the 2021 NFL Draft
By Dean Jones
Penei Sewell – OT (Oregon)
- Detroit Lions – No. 7 overall
It’s clear that Jaycee Horn was extremely high on their list of priorities. Buf if Penei Sewell had fallen one more spot in the 2021 NFL Draft, it wouldn’t have been the biggest shock in the world to see the Carolina Panthers go in this particular direction.
Maybe the smokescreens regarding drafting a quarterback were for someone to urgently strike a deal with the Detroit Lions at No. 7, which would have seen Sewell fall into their laps. Landing the best tackle prospect to enter the NFL in a generation at this stage of the top-10 would have been larceny, but highly possible had Carolina’s plan worked.
Unfortunately for the Panthers, nobody took the bait and after the Cincinnati Bengals and Miami Dolphins opted to go with dynamic weapons in the passing game over Sewell, it left the Lions with a no-brainer pick.
Something they were clearly more than delighted by judging by their war room reaction. Jubilant scenes caught on camera indicated that this was Detroit’s best-case scenario and something that should solidify their protection for the next decade.
As for the Panthers, they ended up taking Horn, who Matt Rhule called the night before to inform him that he was on their hit list. This caused some controversy with Justin Fields still on the board, but it’s hard to deny the former South Carolina stud brings a considerable amount to the table.