5 early mid-round draft steals the Panthers should monitor for 2022
By Dean Jones
Ellis Brooks – LB (Penn State)
Whether the Carolina Panthers consider strengthening their linebacking corps will depend on what happens with Jermaine Carter, Frankie Luvu, Haason Reddick, and Shaq Thompson this offseason. The first three players are out of contract and where the former Washington star is concerned, it remains to be seen whether the team takes through his salary-cap hit that stands at $18.26 million.
Even if the Panthers keep all their supremely talented defense around, it might be worth them picking up another young prospect at some stage to sit behind Carter and provide the second level with additional depth.
Ellis Brooks benefitted significantly from Micah Parsons opting out of the 2020 season due to COVID-19 concerns. He is an athletic second-level presence that makes things happen consistently, racking up 85 tackles through his 10 games with Penn State this season.
Brooks carries himself well against the run and is surprisingly competent in pass coverage. He is still relatively inexperienced when it comes to a starting role, which is reflected in some positional errors and hesitancy regarding specific assignments.
Despite these issues, there is far more good than bad where Brooks is concerned. If Carter sticks around, this would be a nice spot to develop and learn from some tremendous veterans.