What should the Carolina Panthers do with their selections in the 2024 NFL Draft as the free-agent frenzy dawns?
The NFL Scouting Combine has come and gone. It is time for the Carolina Panthers to enter a critical stretch of the offseason as the legal tampering period of free agency begins and college pro days get underway.
What the Panthers will do in free agency will depend on how the market plays out at wide receiver, center, and tight end, three positions the team is expected to pursue in the coming weeks. This may also depend on the current contract situation with star pass rusher Brian Burns, who was placed on the non-exclusive franchise tag last week after both his agent and the team failed to reach an agreement on an extension.
Burns’ situation may sway how General Manager Dan Morgan approaches the draft. If a team is willing enough to send two first-round selections to Carolina, it will shake up its approach considerably with the potential hole at outside rush linebacker.
This week’s mock draft features no such scenario. I chose to go with another “best player available” approach. It will benefit the team come April 26, the second day of the draft. Not only would the Panthers improve their team, but they could still address specific needs that may equate to the BPA mentality.
Using the Pro Football Network simulator, this seven-round NFL mock draft provides another unique scenario for the Panthers.
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Carolina Panthers select Johnny Newton
- Defensive Tackle | Illinois Fighting Illini
- Round No. 2 | No. 33 overall
One may argue that the Carolina Panthers must select an offensive lineman or wide receiver with their first pick. It is a valid argument surrounded by the preface of protecting second-year quarterback Bryce Young and giving him the skill players necessary to succeed at the next level.
However, some talents may be difficult to pass on even if it is on the defensive side of the ball.
Johnny 'Jer’Zhan' Newton is the type of talent you simply cannot pass on. He is a player who makes the team as a whole better with how disruptive he is in the trenches. While finding another five technique isn’t high on the priority list for the Panthers, the prospect would be an upgrade alongside star interior force Derrick Brown.
The 2023 consensus All-American was discovered to have a Jones fracture during medical examinations at the combine. An injury during the pre-draft process could cause him to fall out of the first round entirely. Newton, Pro Football Network’s No. 1 ranked defensive tackle, is still a quality talent worth drafting.
Newton offers a sudden first step that forces blockers on their heels quickly. He wins with power and quickness and provides a nice step of rush moves and counters that make him a handful. The player's hands are always active and he is consistently making plays in the backfield.
The two-time first-team All-Big Ten is the definition of the best player available. Newton would also fit Ejiro Evero’s defense to a tee.
Carolina Panthers select Ricky Pearsall
- Wide Receiver | Florida Gators
- Round No. 3 | No. 65 overall
I’m sure you’ve heard this numerous times throughout the draft process, but this wide receiver class is one of the deepest it has been in a decade. For example, your fifth-ranked wide receiver would be the top-ranked player at his position in most drafts. That’s how good this group is and the Carolina Panthers shouldn’t have any trouble finding a contributor early in the draft.
In this mock draft, a run at wide receiver leaves Ricky Pearsall as the top offensive prospect available, which falls under the notion of the best player available. The former Florida Gator would be a high second-round pick in most classes but lands with Carolina in this scenario to give Bryce Young another weapon to add to his arsenal.
Pearsall is a receiver with great zone awareness. He’s a crafty route-runner with good short-area quickness and quality ball skills. At the moment, he would be the Panthers' second-best receiver - at worst - in 2023.
The former three-star high-school recruit has a knack for making big-time catches, including the one-handed grab against the Charlotte 49ers early last season.
Pearsall offers near-elite athleticism and plenty of long speed to create yards after the catch. He needs to clean up some wasted movement in his releases and route-running and improve his overall play strength. Even so, the wideout's inside-out alignment versatility makes this a quality selection to kick off the third round.
Carolina Panthers select Renardo Green
- Cornerback | Florida State Seminoles
- Round No. 4 | No. 102 overall
Dan Morgan is looking for competitors across the roster, or “dawgs,” so to speak. For a team that went 2-15 this past season, this is no surprise to anyone. The Carolina Panthers need playmakers and competitors at every position.
Cornerback is going to be a bigger need soon as the Panthers are expected to move on from long-time starter Donte Jackson. The nickel role needs to be filled as well, especially if Troy Hill doesn’t return.
When watching Florida State’s defense, one player continues to stand out in the secondary. That man is Renardo Green.
After a strong showing at the Shrine Bowl, Green has been a standout player during the draft evaluation process. He’s an ultra competitor who plays with great short-area quickness and explosion along with the recovery speed to gather himself and attack the football.
Green offers a quality change of direction and play strength that allows him to stay at the hip pocket of receivers and play physically at the line of scrimmage. Something the Panthers desperately need to go alongside Jaycee Horn.
The former three-star high-school recruit is a smaller corner at 5-foot-10 and 187 pounds, which limits his ability to work on the perimeter. However, Green offers the right amount of quality play speed and strength to be a potential early contributor to Carolina’s secondary.
Carolina Panthers select Tanor Bortolini
- Interior Offensive Lineman l Wisconsin Badgers
- Round No. 5 | No. 141 overall
The Carolina Panthers' offensive line is in desperate need of competition. While Brady Christensen and Austin Corbett are expected to return fully healthy from their respective season-ending injuries, their starting jobs should not be guaranteed. Nor is their ability to stay fully healthy again in 2024.
Bradley Bozeman, who struggled mightily last season, has an uncertain future in Carolina. Whether he’s back or not, the center spot must be addressed this offseason. Extra competition is needed at the very least.
Why not address both guards and center with one player? Wisconsin’s Tanor Bortolini is one of the most versatile offensive linemen in the draft. He’s talented enough to be a starting center in his rookie season while having the skill set to compete for a starting gig at either guard spot.
Bortolini is physical and aggressive as a player. The former three-star high-school recruit generates movement at the line of scrimmage while playing with a solid base and steadiness in pass protection. Depending on what transpires in free agency, there's also a chance Carolina addresses its protection much sooner.
Carolina Panthers select Jaheim Bell
- Tight End l Florida State Seminoles
- Round No. 5 | No. 165 overall
With Hayden Hurst gone and Ian Thomas expected to be released before his signing bonus goes into effect, the Carolina Panthers will need to add more talent to the tight end room. This has been a recurring theme since Greg Olsen departed.
Tommy Tremble will be a key piece to the offense in 2024 and should see his production increase overall in the final year of his rookie contract. Still, finding a receiving threat at tight end and a potential versatile weapon should be the type of player the Panthers should pursue.
Jaheim Bell is someone who can bring some uniqueness and creativity to Dave Canales’ offense. This explosiveness will be essential in the head coach's first season at the helm.
Bell doesn’t have the size you are looking for at the position. His Relative Athletic Score was graded as below-average in that regard. Though he had a great combine and displayed the athleticism that made him a playmaker since his days at South Carolina.
Bell provides a great run-after-catch skill set thanks to his explosiveness. This makes him a great option to be a potential H-back and F-move tight end in Carolina’s offense.
Carolina Panthers select Isaac Guerendo
- Running Back | Louisville Cardinals
- Round No. 6 | No. 180 overall
It’s been made known that Chuba Hubbard is going to be the lead back for the Carolina Panthers in 2024. Will Miles Sanders be able to rebound after a disappointing 2023 campaign? It’s hard to say, which is why adding another running back to the roster could be beneficial.
Hubbard is entering the final year of his rookie contract. There’s a solid chance that he will be on another team in 2025. With his position becoming more devalued by the year, adding a late-round flier on an elite athlete like Isaac Guerendo is a risk worth taking.
Guerendo was a genuine surprise to many considering he was barely on anyone’s radar heading into the NFL Scouting Combine. A 4.33-second 40-yard dash, 41.5-inch vertical jump, and 10-foot, 9-inch board jump have put him on everyone’s watch list for the draft process.
The former Louisville Cardinal was never a starter. That said, Guerendo was a key contributor for the ACC runners-up with more than 800 yards and 11 touchdowns.
Guerendo has a potential three-down skill set thanks to his athleticism, explosiveness, steadiness in pass protection, and reliability as a receiver in the passing game. He is setting up to be one of the best under-the-radar Day 3 prospects in the draft.