Carolina Panthers Three-Round 2017 NFL Mock Draft
By Erik Lambert
It’s hard to pinpoint where things went wrong for the Carolina Panthers. Suffice to say the Super Bowl hangover is alive and well in 2015.
Nevertheless this is still a team with enough talent to get things shaped up for next year. They just need to have a good draft in order to shore up some thin areas. Their primary focus could be on defense where they’ve taken the biggest dip. A unit that was among the league best is suddenly mediocre and struggling for answers. Don’t be surprised if they take a home run swing in order to flip the script back their way.
1st Round
Tennessee. Derek Barnett . 1. player. 87. Dave Gettleman famously said during this past off-season that the Panthers are a team that doesn’t build through the secondary, then he released Josh Norman. He was stating this is a team that builds from front to back. Meaning they focus on a quality defensive front. Though they have some good pieces in place, the team still hasn’t found that true edge rusher who can be a game-changer for them. Right now Mario Addison is their leader in sacks with 6.5. <p>Luckily this is the draft to do something about it as there are a host of quality pass rushers, most of which can play in a 4-3 system. Derek Barnett sits right near the top of the list. His 32 sacks at Tennessee tied the school record set by Reggie White. It’s a clear indication the young man understands how to get after the quarterback. He’s got size and strength to bull rush, but deceptive bend and speed to get around the edge too.</p>. DE