Panthers full 7-round 2023 mock draft if Baker Mayfield earns new deal
By Dean Jones
Carolina Panthers select PJ Mustipher
- Defensive Tackle | Penn State
Finding a long-term partner for Derrick Brown has been a luckless task so far. The Carolina Panthers invested a lot in the defensive tackle at No. 7 overall in the 2020 NFL Draft but there will be yet another new man alongside him next season after DaQuan Jones left in free agency and Matt Ioannidis was picked up following his release by the Washington Commanders.
Brown himself is expected to take a substantial leap forward in his third season. The Panthers also have some intriguing depth pieces that can grow in case injury or poor production strikes.
This could force the Panthers into the college ranks for a solution next spring. Especially if the Auburn product cannot become the Pro Bowl-caliber force Carolina hoped for when they picked his abilities over Isaiah Simmons at the time.
If this scenario comes to fruition, then PJ Mustipher is someone to monitor. The huge figure is a difficult proposition to shift off the block with early momentum, making him a commanding force against the run with strong tackling ability in tight spaces.
If there was one flaw where Mustipher is concerned, it’s the fact he plays a little high at times. But should the Penn State prospect be on the board by this point, then it represents an intriguing scenario for Carolina.