5 wide receivers Carolina Panthers should target after Mike Williams snub

Carolina Panthers could draft Keon Coleman

Given how difficult the Carolina Panthers are finding it to convince prominent free agents to join their ambitious project, going down the draft route is another strong possibility. The franchise isn't being perceived in a good light right now after a two-win season that descended into chaos once again. Unless they are going to significantly overpay, veterans with alternative options go elsewhere. This is likely to continue until respectability returns.

The Panthers are down, but not out. This is also an exceptionally deep draft class for wide receivers. Dan Morgan and his staff would be wise to take advantage of this opportunity.

Of course, the Panthers don't have a first-round selection after handing over the No. 1 pick to the Chicago Bears for Caleb Williams. They have two second-rounders after trading Brian Burns to the New York Giants, so a pass-catcher will be discussed at this stage of the draft depending on what transpires in front of them.

Keon Coleman was once tabbed as a sure-fire first-rounder, but his stock has slipped throughout the evaluation process. A less-than-stellar 40-yard dash time at the NFL Scouting Combine is making people look at the Florida State product a little differently. This is something the Panthers might capitalize on if he falls out of the top 32 selections entirely.

Coleman has the size to become a real problem at the next level. What he lacks in top-end speed, he makes up for with shrewd route-running and supreme physicality. He's a matchup nightmare and is exceptional in contested catch situations. But for the Panthers, it's a waiting game.