4 non-QB prospects the Carolina Panthers could draft at No. 9 overall

Carolina Panthers could draft Christian Gonzalez

• Cornerback | Oregon Ducks

Jaycee Horn is a stud. That’s the entire analytical profile for the Carolina Panthers defensive back options under Ejiro Evero.

The rest of the secondary has plenty of questions. Donte Jackson hopefully gets healthy and regains his form, though there was still plenty of room for improvement even when on the field in 2022. Christian Gonzalez could step in and develop into that second starting cornerback role.

One of the younger draft prospects at only 20 years old, Gonzalez is a very promising player. He’s 6-foot-2 and 201 pounds with ridiculous athleticism and ball skills that would impress the most cynical of critics.

If you want to win in the NFL, you must be able to make it difficult for the opposing team to throw the ball prolifically. The Panthers have tried the value pick route with Keith Taylor Jr., and they’ve traded away assets for C.J. Henderson, all in hope of solidifying the side opposite Horn without much success looking at their production when prominent reps came their way in 2022.

If they can’t answer the long-standing franchise quarterback question, it sure would be nice to finally close the book on finding another top-tier defensive back. Especially considering how Evero’s base scheme relies heavily on nickel packages with up to six defensive backs on the field at once.