7 prospects on offense the Panthers should monitor at 2022 Senior Bowl
By Dean Jones
Trevor Penning – OT (Northern Iowa)
As stated previously, the Carolina Panthers are in dire need of a significant offensive line makeover. Only right tackle Taylor Moton is guaranteed a starting berth in 2022 and considering how expensive productive free agents are in this critical area of the field, building a cohesive unit through the draft is the smartest way to go.
Selecting a premier lineman at No. 6 overall is a real possibility. But if the Panthers opt to trade down and acquire more draft capital, then someone like Trevor Penning needs watching in this eventuality.
Although Penning isn’t the highest-graded left tackle in this class, he’s pretty much atop the second tier behind the likes of Evan Neal and Charles Cross. However, plying his trade at Northern Iowa seems to be hurting his stock, at least for the time being.
Penning gets the chance to bolster his reputation at the Senior Bowl. If he can dominate better-quality opponents in a similar fashion, then a potential top-15 pick might not be too far behind.
The blindside protector has everything one looks for. Penning is agile, powerful at the point of attack, and possesses the necessary length to keep opposing edge rushers at bay.
Carolina could do far worse than look in Penning’s direction. But they won’t be the only ones coveting the player by the time draft weekend rolls around.