5 players the Carolina Panthers should regret not drafting in 2021

Carolina Panthers should regret not drafting Trey Smith

Yes, there were some significant health concerns that forced a potential first-round talent in Trey Smith to slide into the sixth round. But if the Carolina Panthers used this stage of the draft to select a long-snapper then the least they could have done was take a gamble on the Tennessee product to boost an offensive line that’s been an embarrassment for years.

This was arguably the biggest regret of every other team besides the Kansas City Chiefs. Smith came into the organization to a huge chip on his shoulder, immediately cementing himself in the starting rotation and proving beyond all doubt he was capable of becoming a dominant figure at the next level.

Smith’s highlights in 2021 were incredible. He completely mauled almost every adversary and earned an impressive 72.8 grade from Pro Football Focus as a result of his efforts.

Carolina utilized a sixth-rounder on Deonte Brown, who came in with some weight concerns which reared their head during what became almost a redshirt rookie season for the interior lineman out of Alabama.

As it turned out, Smith would have easily been the best guard on the Panthers in 2021. But they aren’t the only NFL team facing this reality, in all honesty.