Carolina Panthers 7-round 2022 mock draft: Stud OT headlines great haul

Carolina Panthers select Bubba Bolden

• Safety | Miami

The seventh round of the NFL Draft features nothing more than prospects who could either be depth chart pieces, training camp bodies, surprise starters, and special teams players.

The Carolina Panthers have already solidified their safety position with Jeremy Chinn, Xavier Woods, Juston Burris, and Kenny Robinson. They have plenty of depth here that should eventually become a much-improved unit on the backend next season.

So, why would the Panthers waste a draft pick on a formerly hyped safety from ‘The U’?

Bubba Bolden has the prototypical size and athletic ability you look for at safety. Taking a chance on his physical profile – 6-foot-3 and 200 pounds – should not be a bad thing whatsoever.

Not only that, Bolden has good instincts, range, and ball skills that are worth taking the chance on. His injury history might cause concern to talent evaluators, which need to check out sufficiently before any team pulls the trigger at some stage in the later rounds.

However, Bolden can prove himself to be on the final 53-man roster by playing special teams while being a possible developmental piece on the backend. The Panthers have had some success with their final selections over the last two years in Phil Hoskins and Stantley Thomas-Oliver III, so it would help enormously if this trend continued in 2022.