Carolina Panthers draft Ajani Cornelius
- Offensive Tackle | Oregon Ducks
- Round No. 5 | Pick No. 163
The Carolina Panthers rightfully brought back the major contributors from their offensive line throughout the offseason. This unit became a beacon of hope amid the typical doom and gloom right from the outset of 2024. Once quarterback Bryce Young started to trust the protection in front of him, it didn't take much longer for things to progress.
No team gets anywhere by settling. Dan Morgan recognizes this fact, with the Panthers doing their due diligence on some tackle prospects emerging via the draft this year. Whether they take one remains to be seen, but it's something to monitor nonetheless.
Taylor Moton is entering the final year of his deal. Most thought the Panthers would extend him ahead of time, but Morgan is willing to eat his $31.34 million salary-cap hit before taking any further steps. With Yosh Nijman and Brady Christensen as the backups, acquiring a development prospect with one of their later picks seems feasible.
Ajani Cornelius is an athletic, powerful edge presence. He's a smooth mover with the hand placement needed to keep oncoming pass-rushers at arm's length. This is matched by ruthless aggression on running plays that's hard not to love.
Once Cornelius improves technically, he could be a dependable rotational piece at the very least.
Carolina Panthers draft Collin Oliver
- Linebacker | Oklahoma State Cowboys
- Round No. 7 | Pick No. 230
Finding a diamond in the rough with the Panthers' final selection in the draft will be difficult. Seventh-rounders have to work their way from the bottom up. The margins between them and undrafted free agents are minimal. That's not to say there aren't some real success stories throughout NFL history that went under the radar.
The Panthers need another developmental linebacker. Shaq Thompson's decade-long stint with the franchise concluded this offseason, leaving Josey Jewell and Trevin Wallace as the projected starters. Christian Rozeboom joined in free agency, which brings intrigue considering he's got previous experience within Ejiro Evero's defensive scheme from their time together on the Los Angeles Rams.
A fourth option to go along with this trio would be prudent. Collin Oliver wouldn't be classed as elite in any traits. However, the Oklahoma State prospect does most things well. And there's enough scope for growth to get consideration at this juncture.
Oliver has experience as an off-ball linebacker or an edge rusher, boasting an explosive first step and a low center of gravity that allows him to get around bigger offensive tackles. He's a productive tackler and improving in coverage. This also makes him a decent special teams option while getting problem areas such as block disengagement and run-fit recognition up to speed.