NFL Draft 2020: Best pick from each team in the NFC South

Carolina Panthers: Jeremy Chinn, Safety, Southern Illinois

Round 2, 64 Overall

The Carolina Panthers drafted all defense in their first draft with head coach Matt Rhule and general manager Marty Hurney paired up. They went heavy on the defensive line early, selecting Derrick Brown and Yetur Gross-Matos with their first two picks, and then took to the secondary while adding more front seven depth after that.

Their best pick in the 2020 NFL Draft came via a trade up. Carolina moved up to the end of the second round and selected Southern Illinois safety Jeremy Chinn with the 64th pick.

Chinn didn’t get a ton of buzz until Senior Bowl week, where he impressed big time down in Mobile with his skills, and it’s like Rhule and company liked what they saw. He’s a great athlete for the safety position as his combine numbers showed, and he provides versatility for the position. Chinn has very good ball skills and good range to close while playing single high or in a deep third. He will also be able to get reps in the box where he can utilize his physical play style.

Chinn’s processing speed needs to speed up a bit at the next level, but his potential is sky-high. We may not see him as the best pick in a year, but further down the road, it will be the case.