Carolina Panthers 7-round 2024 NFL mock draft: Best player available edition

Carolina Panthers draft Javon Foster

• Offensive Tackle | Missouri Tigers
• No. 162 overall

Depth, depth, depth. I may sound like a broken record at this point, but I cannot stress enough the importance of having quality backups and developmental players.

These types of players make your favorite team better and allow for continued success. That is what the Carolina Panthers have missed for years.

Carolina must consider the possibility of drafting two offensive linemen. Yes, they selected Chandler Zavala in 2023, but he showed to be a replacement-level player in the games he started and has a long way to go in terms of his development.

They need versatile depth and developmental talent. Javon Foster seems like that type of player.

A sixth-year player, Missouri’s starting offensive tackle was a first-team All-SEC in 2023. He offers a great combination of explosion, power, and movement skills that is intriguing at 6-foot-5, 319 pounds. Foster is physical and brings plenty of energy in all phases of his game.

Foster is a developmental talent for good reason. He has serious technical flaws that Ikem Ekwonu, for example, struggles with - especially in pass protection. I could see him trying out at guard where his complications can be hidden to a certain extent.

Will Foster be a starter in 2024? It's unlikely. However, it’s a raw talent like the former Tiger that - with the right amount of patience - could be an eventual starter at the next level.