One bold prediction for every Carolina Panthers draft pick in 2022

Amare Barno – Carolina Panthers DE/OLB

• Achieve 4 sacks in 2022

The Carolina Panthers need all the help they can get regarding consistent pass-rushers next season. Haason Reddick’s 11 sacks will be sorely missed after he signed for the Philadelphia Eagles in free agency and unless others step up, defensive end Brian Burns will be under too much pressure from opposing protection schemes to do it all by himself.

It was strange to see the Panthers use just one pick on an edge defender during the draft. They also waited until Day 3 before doing so.

Amare Barno is another with some enticing physical attributes that might see the player turn into a valuable contributor over time. If the Panthers don’t see enough from the likes of Yetur Gross-Matos and Marquis Haynes, the Virginia Tech product might see more action immediately than originally anticipated.

Barno has some work to do regarding pass-rushing technique and will also need to add some muscle to cope with imposing NFL offensive linemen. The explosiveness is already right where it needs to be, so if the Panthers can unlock his potential straight away, then some time on the field is well within reach.

Perhaps achieving four sacks as a rookie is expecting too much from Barno. But this is a bold prediction and one that would help the team enormously if it comes to fruition.