Carolina Panthers load up on defense in 7-round 2020 NFL mock draft

With Gerald McCoy, Dontari Poe and Vernon Butler all hitting the open market as unrestricted free agents, the interior defensive line stands out as a major need for the Carolina Panthers this offseason. Auburn defensive tackle Derrick Brown is a common mock draft selection for the Panthers and it is certainly a pick that would make some sense. That being said, after his poor performance at the combine, teams must be having second thoughts about Brown in the top 10.

Brown is still a worthy selection in this range, but there is at least a question about it now. With this in mind, I wanted to go in a different direction in this 2020 NFL mock draft, leading me to Clemson defensive superstar Isaiah Simmons.

Simmons is listed as a linebacker by most, but he played all over the field in college. He shined in a safety role at times, excelled as a slot cornerback and made an impact as an edge rusher when asked to play up front. Simply put, Simmons is an incredibly versatile and gifted athlete who can make an impact all over the field on the defensive side of the ball.

He shows rare speed and athleticism at the linebacker position, easily ranging from sideline-to-sideline making plays. Simmons also shows impressive block shed ability and is a strong tackler in space.

Simmons really shows off his value in coverage, having the necessary combination of size, speed and athleticism to handle any tight end or running back assignment given to him. He is going to be an incredible defensive weapon at the next level who can legitimately handle players who are typically matchup nightmares in the middle of the field. His coverage skills are top-notch and make him a legitimate weapon on the defensive side of the ball for whoever drafts him.

The sudden retirement of Luke Kuechly is obviously less than ideal for the Carolina Panthers. Kuechly was a stabilizing force in the middle of the field for Carolina and one of the best coverage linebackers in the history of the game. Simmons obviously has a long way to go before he can play at the level of Kuechly, but his combination of skills gives him that kind of upside, which is incredibly rare for an NFL Draft prospect.