Carolina Panthers: Daviyon Nixon stealing a starting job as a rookie?
Not often is a fifth-round draft choice hyped up as a potential starter, but that’s exactly what the Carolina Panthers have in 2021 rookie Daviyon Nixon. Nixon was a unanimous All-American, Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year, All-Big Ten selection in 2020 after a tremendous junior campaign for the Hawkeyes, and somehow, he lasted well into day three of the NFL Draft.
Nixon, at certain points in the 2020 college football season, looked like he was ascending into the first-round territory with some huge plays along the defensive line, including a very impressive pick-six against Penn State.
Big fellas aren't supposed to be able to run like this.@DaviyonNixon is not your typical big fella. #B1GStandout
— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) November 21, 2020
📍 @AutoOwnersIns pic.twitter.com/sTb63InYcR
On the season, Nixon racked up 45 total tackles, 13.5 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks, a forced fumble, and two batted passes along with the interception for a score. He was an impact defender on a very good Iowa defense all season long and was recognized for his dominance at the end of the year with a ton of awards and accolades.
At the Iowa pro day, Nixon only reinforced that he’s a tremendous NFL prospect.
Daviyon Nixon was drafted with pick 158 of round 5 in the 2021 draft class. He scored a 8.38 RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 213 out of 1309 DT from 1987 to 2021. https://t.co/DilHuHPoeH #RAS #Panthers pic.twitter.com/U7qsJVv9sM
— Kent Lee Platte (@MathBomb) May 1, 2021
Over 300 pounds, some watches at the Iowa pro day clocked Nixon at 4.86 in the 40-yard dash, and with his outstanding length — over 35-inch arms and nearly 84-inch wingspan — Nixon is a load to handle on the defensive interior.
As a former JUCO prospect with just one year of starting experience at Iowa, it’s understandable that teams may have dinged Nixon a little bit for lack of time on task, but the Carolina Panthers certainly aren’t going to complain about having him in camp.
The Panthers drafted both Derrick Brown and Bravvion Roy in the 2020 NFL Draft and those players certainly bring a lot to the table, especially Brown who was the first draft pick for this team in the Matt Rhule era.
With Nixon’s versatility to play up and down the line, he should see plenty of early playing time and it would be a treat to see him work in tandem with Brown, another player who can give offensive linemen fits with his length on the defensive interior.
Over the last two years in college football, it’s not unreasonable to say that no two defensive linemen have been more dominant than Brown and Nixon. How that translates to the NFL remains to be seen, but the Panthers should be excited about the prospect of those two guys sharing the field in one of the NFL’s youngest and most athletic defensive groups.