Panthers 7-round 2023 NFL mock draft: Pro days provide clearer picture

Carolina Panthers select Kendre Miller

• Running Back | TCU Horned Frogs | Round No. 5 (Pick No. 145)

I was curious as to how the Carolina Panthers would approach the running back position this offseason. With D'Onta Foreman a pending free agent, I wasn't sure how the position group would look heading into April.

What happened next was quite interesting. Carolina chose to let Foreman test the open market. In that process, the team was able to land arguably the best running back in free agency, former Philidelphia Eagles leading rusher Miles Sanders.

This led Foreman to sign with the Bears on a one-year, $3 million contract.

The Panthers running back room is somewhat set. If they chose to enter the season with Sanders, Chuba Hubbard, and Raheem Blackshear, I think they would do just fine. However, there is a physical and power element missing in that group as Foreman was the easy go-to back in short-yardage situations.

In this mock draft, I have Carolina snagging one of the most physical running back prospects in the 2023 class. Kendre Miller was the leading rusher from the national championship runner-ups, TCU, and displays great contact balance and physicality. He seldom goes down on first contact and always falls forward to gain extra yards.

While I don't expect Miller to be the team's leading rusher, he would have a role within Carolina's offense as their down-and-dirty runner who can do the heavy lifting in certain situations.