Carolina Panthers could have drafted Cooper DeJean
It’s no surprise a player eventually selected by the Philadelphia Eagles went on to have immediate success in the league. After all, general manager Howie Roseman is the gold standard when it comes to drafting.
The main discourse surrounding Cooper DeJean would be where he would line up at the next level. There were questions about his speed, leading some analysts to suggest he'd be better suited at safety in the pros. The former Iowa man was employed primarily as the Eagles' slot cornerback and excelled, earning All-Rookie honors.
DeJean ended the year with an 82.7 grade from Pro Football Focus, which was fourth best amongst qualifying corners. He also had a 90.8 run defense grade. Seeing as how the Carolina Panthers' run defense was far and away the worst league-wide, this is something that could have been a real asset for Ejiro Evero.
The gifted defensive back locked up practically everyone he lined up opposite a season ago. But ironically, it was Adam Thielen who provided the player with his welcome to the NFL moment.
The player grew even more when he shone on the biggest stage of all. DeJean's pick-six on Patrick Mahomes in the Super Bowl propelled the first-year pro into the national spotlight for all the right reasons.
Carolina Panthers could have drafted Braden Friske
With the Carolina Panthers ending the season with both LaBryan Ray and Nick Thurman having a prominent role in the defensive line rotation, under-fire coordinator Ejiro Evero would have been desperate to have some extra depth. Something that Braden Fiske could have provided.
Fiske was selected No. 39 overall by the Los Angeles Rams, a pick originally owned by Carolina before the NFC West club traded up for the former Florida State man. This paired him with college teammate Jared Verse, who was the team's first-round pick.
While Fiske struggled in run defense, he excelled at getting after the quarterback. This is something Carolina immensely struggled with throughout a historically bad campaign on defense.
The player ended the season with double-digit sacks, including 1.5 during the Rams' playoff run. Fiske’s 10 quarterback takedowns are almost double that of Panthers' sack leader A’Shawn Robinson, who ended the season with 5.5.
While the opening-day loss of Pro Bowl lineman Derrick Brown was a huge blow to Carolina's defensive line, the likes of Shy Tuttle, Ray, and Thurman are simply not to the required standard for an NFL rotation. Having someone like Fiske on the roster — who can give you legitimate pressure from inside — is something that could have been vital to the Panthers.
Hopefully, free-agent signings Bobby Brown III and Tershawn Wharton can turn the tide.