Dan Morgan has a big draft upcoming. The Carolina Panthers have nine picks at their disposal, so taking advantage of this rich bounty will have a positive impact on any potential improvements next season.
One NFL analyst believes he's found the perfect Day 3 sleeper to help a problem position group in Carolina.
Fans weren't shocked when the Panthers focused their attention on improving the defense this offseason. Morgan admitted failure to provide defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero with the personnel needed to implement his 3-4 base scheme effectively. A historical campaign for all the wrong reasons followed, which provoked the general manager into drastic action.
Morgan allocated every available resource to fortify the defense. Most analysts expect this trend to continue during the draft, although ignoring the weapons around quarterback Bryce Young entirely would be extremely foolish.
Lathan Ransom touted as perfect Day 3 draft sleeper for Carolina Panthers
Mason Cameron from Pro Football Focus highlighted Lathan Ransom as a great fit for the Panthers at some stage on Day 3. The analyst thought his run-stopping prowess and hard-hitting mentality would complement what Carolina already has in its safety corps. His ability to create turnovers is something else that would be a major asset if he transitions smoothly.
"After finishing 2024 in the bottom eight in takeaways and dead last in PFF run-defense grade (37.5), the Panthers could use playmakers in the secondary who aren’t afraid to mix it up in the run game. [Lathan] Ransom is a tone-setter on the backend, having earned the highest PFF run-defense grade (93.5) in college football this past season, thanks to his knack for peanut-punching out the football any chance he gets."Mason Cameron
The Panthers spent big money to acquire Tre'von Moehrig in free agency. Hopes are high that Demani Richardson can improve after the undrafted free agent flashed promise as a rookie. Carolina also re-signed Nick Scott, who'll be tasked with special teams responsibilities rather than anything meaningful on the defensive rotation.
Carolina's cupboard is bare aside from that. They could address the safety corps much earlier than Day 3. If not, the Ohio State prospect has a lot of traits that could make him a potential steal when it's all said and done.
Ransom looks like an upgrade on the rotation at the very least as things stand. His run defense is up there with anything in this year's class. He's not the biggest, but you wouldn't know it by looking at his physical style.
Some injury concerns must be alleviated during the assessment stage. Ransom also needs some coverage refinement before confidence increases in his chances. Even so, he's got the athletic profile to develop further under the guidance of pro-caliber coaches.
There hasn't been any reported interest in Ransom from the Panthers' perspective as yet. That's notable when one considers how many prospects who attended private visits were eventually drafted by the team in 2024. Nothing could be completely dismissed right now, but it seems unlikely Ransom will end up in Carolina.
That's not to say Ransom won't catch on elsewhere. He comes from a winning program and has the right characteristics to make a go of things. Whether that'll be in Carolina or not remains to be seen.