Carolina Panthers 7-round 2024 NFL mock draft: Post-free agency edition

Carolina Panthers draft Zach Frazier

• Center | West Virginia Mountaineers
• Round No. 2 | No. 39 overall

Bradley Bozeman is now with the Los Angeles Chargers and Jim Harbaugh. The Carolina Panthers were likely hoping to land a quality starting center in free agency and still could. However, it seems the plan at the moment is for Austin Corbett - while providing depth at guard - to compete for the starting center gig this offseason.

It's hard to get a fuzzy feeling about the idea of Corbett playing at center. He has very little experience occupying the middle of the offensive line. Fear not, as the team is likely targeting a young center in this year’s draft with quite a few potential starters throughout the class.

A popular prospect among Panthers fans is Zach Frazier. The West Virginia standout is one of the four to five centers in this year’s class who could be a starter in the NFL from the jump. He is the type of player who could fit seamlessly within Dave Canales’ offense.

Frazier does a good job of generating power of the snap while loading his base and setting a firm anchor in pass protection. He takes good angles on down blocks and hits his landmarks working in pass sets. He's smart, having a great understanding of what his blocking assignment is and where pressure is coming from stunts and twists.

A former high school champion in wrestling, Frazier uses those skills to be a complete mauler in the run game while consistently fitting his hands inside his defender’s frame. He can come in and compete for the Panthers' starting center job immediately and has the ceiling to be a multi-time Pro Bowler.