7 defensive tackles the Carolina Panthers could select in the 2022 NFL Draft

Carolina Panthers could select Thomas Booker (Stanford)

Measurements:

• Height: 6-foot-3 | Weight: 301 pounds

2021 Stats:

• 59 tackles
• 1 sack
• 5 tackles for loss
• 72.4 PFF Grade

Thomas Booker was a three-year starter at Stanford who flashed a lot of his potential off and on. However, the big negative is that his play went up with flashes without much consistency.

If he gets selected and plays in the Carolina Panthers’ rotation, Booker will thrive the most in a smaller dosage of plays in games until he proves that he can be a consistent force.

Booker has a very high football IQ to go along with good lateral movement and reaction times. These factors make him a tough lineman to get proper leverage against.

Another positive for Booker is that he can play multiple positions on the interior defensive line. That flexibility will be valuable for the Panthers if they decide to draft him.

Against double teams, Booker will be blocked out of gaps the majority of the time. He will need to bulk up and refine his technique to become a starting-level tackle in the NFL, but he has the football mind and the right mindset to improve on his weaknesses.

During the 2022 Shrine Bowl, Booker raised his draft stock considerably through one-on-one drills and conversations with coaches. During an interview with Brett Kollman, Booker flexed his football IQ, picking up little things opposing linemen do that tell him what is happening and where he should go.

Even if Booker does not develop into a starting-level defensive tackle, he will bring a ton of value off the bench with flashes of great play when he is in, his ability to coach teammates, and enabling his team make adjustments on the fly.

All draft projections predict Booker to be selected somewhere in the middle or late on Day 3. The overall value the prospect would bring is incredibly high. Not only with his impact on the field and in the locker room but also with the area of the draft he is likely to be taken.

Booker is the perfect low-risk high-reward option for Scott Fitterer and the Panthers in this year’s draft. He should be the guy Carolina selects if they decide to add to the defensive tackle group.