Panthers 2022 draft scouting report: Kayvon Thibodeaux’s high ceiling

How would Kayvon Thibodeaux fit on the Carolina Panthers?

• Week 1 starting defensive end

While players previously mentioned such as Marquis Haynes and Yetur Gross-Matos are good re-signing’s to fill the void left by Haason Reddick, neither of those has the ceiling that Kayvon Thibodeaux has. He is someone who with the right coaching could be destructive in the league.

We know that Thibodeaux is stout against the run and as the Carolina Panthers struggled in 2021 against those wide zone runs, someone who can get into the backfield and disrupt runners is someone those in power should think about adding.

Pairing a slightly raw prospect like Thibodeaux with veteran coaches like Paul Pasqualoni and defensive coordinator Phil Snow could be the perfect caveat for the explosive prospect to take his game to that next level. He could be gone by No. 6, but with rumors swirling about teams trading up for Malik Willis or the Detroit Lions selecting him at No. 2, that might not be the case.

If the top two tackles – Ikem Ekwonu and Evan Neal – are both drafted in the top five, this leaves Carolina in a conundrum.

Do they rate a tackle like Trevor Penning or Charles Cross highly enough?

Or do they go the best player available which could well be Thibodeaux and trust Brady Christensen at left tackle?

The raw talent and athleticism that Thibodeaux has are so rare. While some things do need ironing out in terms of technique, these are elements that can easily be coached.

One thing is for sure, drafting Thibodeaux would improve the Panthers from day one.