4 positions the Carolina Panthers could draft more than once in 2022
By Dean Jones
Carolina Panthers could select OT more than once
There could finally be an opportunity for the Carolina Panthers to fix one of the longest-standing problems across their depth chart during the 2022 NFL Draft. Finding a permanent solution at left tackle since Jordan Gross retired has been troubling for the organization, but it would be a surprise if one of the premium options entering the league this year weren’t around at No. 6 overall.
Ikem Ekwonu, Charles Cross, and Evan Neal are the consensus top three. All represent a significant upgrade on anything the Panthers put on their blindside last season and even though Scott Fitterer probably wants to trade down for additional draft capital, passing up one of these prospects would be extremely difficult.
Even if the Panthers do take a left tackle at No. 6 or via a trade back, adding more than one could be useful given how much the likes of Cam Erving and Dennis Daley have struggled on the edge. Carolina obviously has Brady Christensen, but placing him at multiple spots in 2021 clearly had an impact on the former BYU standout’s overall development.
Credit to the Panthers for finding the right pieces on the interior in free agency. If the primary decision-makers can secure a premier left tackle, then this has the potential to be one of the more improved units anywhere in the league.
There could be some value in the mid-to-late rounds if Fitterer identifies the right guy. So the prospect of two tackles coming in is a realistic one.