4 best-case draft scenarios for the Carolina Panthers in 2022
By Dean Jones
Evan Neal falls to the Carolina Panthers
Unless the Carolina Panthers see Brady Christensen as a long-term left tackle – which does appear unlikely after how badly he was mismanaged as a rookie – then the search for a successor to Jordan Gross goes on.
It sounds silly to say considering how long ago the All-Pro retired. But the situation has not been resolved in a satisfactory fashion and that has to change during the 2022 NFL Draft.
The Panthers are in a good spot to potentially select a premier blindside protector this year. They hold the No. 6 overall selection and if there is a run on some elite pass-rushers in the top five, then it would be a big disappointment if a stud left tackle wasn’t waiting for them as a result.
Perhaps the best of the bunch is Evan Neal. The Alabama product has all the size, athleticism, and experience to become a Day 1 starter at the position and if the Panthers have the opportunity to select him, it would be a hard proposition to pass up.
If Neal is already gone, which is entirely possible, then Carolina could also take a long look at Charles Cross and Ikem Ekwonu. Either prospect wouldn’t be a bad consolation prize by any stretch of the imagination and could end up being better professionals when it’s all said and done.
This would be Carolina’s only selection in the top-136, which is a problem. But acquiring Neal would solve their left tackle woes that have simply gone on for long enough.