5 potential problem-solvers the Carolina Panthers could draft in 2022
By Dean Jones
Nakobe Dean – LB (Georgia)
We get it, the Carolina Panthers need offensive line help desperately. But they also require a long-term successor for Luke Kuechly at the middle linebacker spot.
This might not take priority over a positional group that’s constantly held the team back in 2021. But if the Panthers do end up trading back for a king’s ransom, then a discussion needs to be had regarding Nakobe Dean.
It would be incredibly hard for anyone to match Kuechly’s production. Something that Tahir Whitehead and Jermaine Carter have failed to do over the last two seasons.
However, Dean’s athleticism and intelligence could be the closest Carolina ever gets.
One cannot be impressed by the way Dean goes about his business. The Georgia prospect is a supreme sideline-to-sideline presence, has the instincts to make plays at will, and has a rare gift of seeing plays develop pre-snap that’s been the catalyst behind the Bulldogs’ success this season.
Not only this, but Dean also has eye-catching burst and physicality that stops runners dead in their tracks for good measure.
Dean’s stock is only going to soar further once the assessment process begins. It might not be something in Carolina’s thought process right now, but that doesn’t mean the linebacker wouldn’t be a major problem-solver.