4 biggest steals for the Panthers during the 2021 NFL Draft

(John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports) Terrace Marshall Jr.
(John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports) Terrace Marshall Jr. /
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Carolina Panthers
(Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports) Daviyon Nixon /

Daviyon Nixon – Carolina Panthers DT

  • Round No. 5 – Pick No. 158 overall

There is plenty of speculation as to why Daviyon Nixon fell so far during the 2021 NFL Draft. The prospect has plenty of character concerns that obviously put some teams off, but the Carolina Panthers thought he was worth taking a chance on at this stage of the process.

From a talent standpoint, Nixon has everything going for him.

The Iowa product is a relentless presence rushing from the defensive line interior and providing he can work on being more efficient on running downs, Carolina might have a productive player on their hands.

Dropping so far in the draft for a prospect that was expected to be a sure-fire second-round pick was no doubt a humbling experience for Nixon and one that’s cost him a substantial amount of money. This was the rude awakening the player may have needed and walking into this young, ambitious locker room with a bad attitude could potentially result in a quick exit.

Carolina’s decision-makers appear confident that this is the right environment for Nixon to put his previous reported troubles behind him. Adding him to a defensive tackle rotation that also consists of Derrick Brown, DaQuan Jones, Bravvion Roy, and three-technique Morgan Fox takes some of the pressure off immediately, but that’s not to say he cannot make a difference from the word go.