Carolina Panthers must avoid Mike Green
- Edge Rusher | Marshall Thundering Herd
It's widely perceived that the Carolina Panthers will address the edge-rushing position relatively early in the 2025 NFL Draft. Adding Patrick Jones II to go alongside Jadeveon Clowney and D.J. Wonnum should help, but it won't be enough to provide the dynamic explosiveness needed to be more competitive.
This hasn't gone unnoticed by Dan Morgan. He acknowledged the Panthers need to do more in their quest to become dominant in the defensive trenches. Fortunately for the general manager, this is a good crop of college prospects to choose from.
Mike Green is among the most polarizing. The Marshall pass-rusher enjoyed a dominant 2024 campaign to propel himself onto the draft radar, gaining 17 sacks and 23 tackles for loss en route to winning the Sun Belt Player of the Year. This was followed by a dominant performance during Senior Bowl practices to further enhance his stock.
Everything was pointing up for Green. Until it wasn't.
Reports surfaced around sexual assault allegations during his time in Virginia that resulted in his departure from the program. Green denies any wrongdoing and planned to be open with teams about the issue. But there's a good chance he won't be on boards around the league unless he provides a satisfactory explanation.
This situation, together with the fact he didn't exactly compete against high-caliber opposition in college, means the Panthers should look elsewhere.
Carolina Panthers must avoid Tre Harris
- Wide Receiver | Ole Miss Rebels
Another year, another physically imposing Ole Miss prospect emerges from the collegiate level with a high ceiling according to most projections.
The Panthers have been burned by something similar before. Jonathan Mingo had the same prognosis before the 2023 NFL Draft. Once those in power made their daring raid up to No. 1 overall for quarterback Bryce Young, they wanted to pair him with a wide receiver long-term. That was a good plan, but they made the wrong choice.
Mingo struggled to develop his route tree. Concentration issues became an ongoing frustration throughout his rookie campaign. It didn't take long for the pass-catcher to become a fringe option once the new regime took charge.
Dan Morgan had seen enough midway through the season. The Panthers traded Mingo to the Dallas Cowboys for a fourth-round pick before the 2024 deadline. Most thought this was a decent return, which is a testament to this pick flopping in the worst possible way.
The Panthers would be wise to keep that in mind when examining Tre Harris' credentials in greater detail. He's steadily improved each of his five college seasons, and transferring to the Rebels was a masterstroke. What those in power must figure out is whether he's closer to D.K. Metcalf or Mingo.