4 prospects the Panthers might regret not drafting in 2021
By Dean Jones
Which 2021 NFL Draft prospects might the Carolina Panthers regret not drafting when they had the opportunity to do so?
The Carolina Panthers got themselves some fine college recruits after one of the more memorable NFL Draft weekends in franchise history. General manager Scott Fitterer was immensely active in the trade market to move up and down multiple times, giving the team 11 picks this year and a fourth-rounder in 2022 after a quality haul from the Houston Texans.
It’s hard to judge if any college player can successfully transition to the pro ranks. Some will be counted upon to make a lasting impact in 2021 more than others, but it’s clear there is now a sense of direction within the Panthers that has been missing for quite some time.
The draft is always filled with some regret when it’s all said and done. There are some who dropped down the pecking order who will undoubtedly go on to have prolific careers, with plenty of high-end prospects sure to fail if history has taught us anything.
Hopefully, the Panthers won’t have to worry about this and get some nice production from their selections in the coming years. If they managed to achieve this, then a potential postseason challenge won’t be far behind.
With this in mind, let’s take a look at four draft prospects the Panthers might regret passing on over the three-day recruitment event.
Carolina Panthers potential draft regrets in 2021.
Player No. 1
Rashawn Slater – OT
There was a high likelihood that the Carolina Panthers would have taken Penei Sewell at No. 8 had he fallen one more spot into their laps. No team caught the bait regarding their quarterback smokescreen to move ahead of them to the Detroit Lions, which resulted in some jubilant scenes in the NFC North side’s war room after taking the Oregon product.
Many expected the Panthers to go with the next best tackle in the draft with Rashawn Slater, who was available. However, they spurned this opportunity in favor of drafting a potential shutdown cornerback in Jaycee Horn.
They did address protection later in the draft after moving up in the third round to select Brady Christensen out of BYU. He comes with a big reputation and could be a plug-and-play starter with upside, but if things don’t work out and Slater shines with the Los Angeles Chargers, this will be a regrettable decision and one that could have huge consequences.