Carolina Panthers make huge trade in full 7-round 2022 mock draft

Carolina Panthers select Smoke Monday – S (Auburn)

Smoke Monday was surprisingly still on the board in this scenario, making it an easy pick for the Carolina Panthers. If he were to last until this point in the draft, those in power would be crazy not to select the safety.

Not only does he fill a position of need, but his play style and hard-hitting intensity also fit perfectly with the Carolina defense. The Auburn product profiles as a Day 1 starter for a unit that had the secondary exposed in their final game of the season.

A great pass rush and linebacking core were unable to cover for a secondary that went through some major up-and-downs this season. Monday paired with last year’s first-round pick Jaycee Horn and Jeremy Chinn will be enough to fix the backend, which would be a major help in 2022 and possibly beyond.

Horn and Monday will be enough to progress the secondary and give Carolina a defense that will help them contend regardless of who the quarterback is.

If the Panthers do the unthinkable and start Sam Darnold again next season, Phil Snow’s group must be good enough to keep them competitive and win games against superior quarterbacks. Especially considering the complications the signal-caller went through during the campaign.