Panthers 2021 NFL Draft: Way-too-early 3-round mock draft

2. Paulson Adebo, CB, Stanford

After the Panthers used every single one of their 2020 NFL Draft selections on the defensive side of the ball, I thought about doing the same here in the 2021 NFL Draft on the offensive side of the ball, but the opportunity to pick a player like Stanford cornerback Paulson Adebo was too tempting to pass on.

The issue with Adebo right now is a little bit of inconsistency on a play-by-play basis, but he has some of the best ball skills of any defensive back in college football.

As a former wide receiver, that makes sense.

In just two seasons as a cornerback, Adebo has eight interceptions and 27 pass breakups, and as a sophomore in 2018 he added five tackles for loss.

At 6-foot-1, 190 pounds, Adebo needs to add a little bit of weight to his frame to hold up against more physical receivers when he’s asked to play press coverage, but the overall cover skills are definitely there for this guy to be a CB1 or CB1a in the NFL.