Panthers 7-round 2022 NFL mock draft: Trench warfare edition

Which way could the Carolina Panthers go with their 2022 NFL Draft selections if they focused their attention on improving the trenches?

There is a tale as old as time across the NFL. Games and championships are won or lost in the trenched, which is something the Carolina Panthers have found out to their cost over the last two seasons under Matt Rhule.

Carolina’s offensive line has been nothing short of pathetic, for the most part. A series of poor personnel moves coupled with bad coaching meant the unit crumbled in the face of consistent pressure in 2021, which didn’t do Sam Darnold, Cam Newton, or P.J. Walker any favors whatsoever.

Considering that Taylor Moton is the only player guaranteed a starting spot in 2022 and general manager Scott Fitterer’s declaration that the protection will become a big priority this offseason, it’s not hard to envisage major changes across the board.

This also applies to the defensive line, to a lesser extent. The Panthers couldn’t stop the run efficiently down the stretch and with some established names out of contract, bolstering another critical area will be considered at some stage.

With little breathing space financially at the moment, landing an elite lineman in free agency will be difficult. However, there could be some useful prospects in the draft who’ll be cheaper and might end up solidifying the trenches for Carolina next season and beyond.

Using The Draft Network’s simulator, we took a look at which way the Panthers might go with this approach in a full seven-round mock.