Carolina Panthers: A Fresh 7-Round Mock NFL Draft Following the Shocking Christian McCaffrey Trade

Round 3: Pick 83 (via SF) – Zay Flowers, WR, Boston College

Another player that should go higher than this is Boston College wide receiver, Zay Flowers. While the top-end talent at the position doesn’t quite match previous classes, the 2023 NFL Draft is deep with pass catchers. Perhaps the most explosive of those players is the BC playmaker.

Flowers, like Gibbs, is a game-breaker for any offense. He is a powder keg just waiting to spark. Get the ball in his hands and he will do some things that make your jaw hit the floor.

With Boston College, Flowers has put up some gaudy numbers, with 2022 serving as his best season to date. In only six games thus far, Flowers already has 42 receptions and 556 yards, and five touchdowns. These numbers are on pace to surpass career highs across the board.

How does he fit with Carolina? Ideally, Zay Flowers will step into the lineup from the jump and form an exciting duo with veteran DJ Moore. The play style of these two receivers would mesh perfectly, making Bryce Young’s life considerably easier with both weapons at his disposal.

That being said, if the Panthers do move on from Moore, Flowers can serve as the top option on an NFL depth chart. I understand loading up on draft picks, but if the Panthers enter 2023 with DJ Moore-Zay Flowers-Jahmyr Gibbs… Bryce Young will help fans quickly forget about McCaffrey.

Round 4: Pick 129 – Tre’Vius Hodges-Tomlinson, DB, TCU

Due to his slight frame, Tre’Vius Hodges-Tomlinson might suffer a tumble down the board on draft day. The TCU veteran is listed at 5-foot-9 and 180 pounds, but both of those numbers could wind up being generous.

Hodges-Tomlinson is the nephew of Hall of Fame running back, LaDainian Tomlinson, showing that NFL talent runs through his bloodlines. While they play two entirely different positions, Hodges-Tomlinson brings the same exhilarating brand of football to the table.

Although he is small relative to others in his class, you would never know it by watching the gifted defensive back. He plays with a relentless motor, a willingness to stick his nose in any play, and fluid movement as he follows his assignments downfield.

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The Panthers need help in the secondary, as is evident by the abysmal passer ratings given up by each member (aside from Jaycee Horn). Donte Jackson has been inconsistent, to put it mildly, and CJ Henderson has been downright awful in 2022.

Hodges-Tomlinson served primarily as an outside cornerback with TCU, but he is best suited to move inside at the next level. Myles Hartsfield has performed admirably the past couple of weeks, but the team should take THT and find a way to get him in the lineup.

Round 4: Pick 115 (via SF) – John Michael Schmitz, OL, Minnesota

As impressive as the Panthers’ offensive line has looked in 2022, the team must continue adding talent to the group. The unit has yet to miss a game this season, but that type of good injury luck is not something to count on each year.

Minnesota’s John Michael Schmitz is one of the best offensive linemen in the country. The reason for his drop in the draft is mostly because he plays center, a position that is devalued in the NFL (when it comes to the draft).

During his time with the Gophers, Schmitz has spearheaded a top rushing attack every season as the starter. He uses his 6-foot-4, 320-pound frame to assert dominance at the line of scrimmage. This physicality adds to the smash-mouth Carolina offensive line and will benefit whichever running back takes over for Christian McCaffrey.

Pat Elflein is a fine player at center, but he is nearing 30 years of age and does not bring the overall upside that John Michael Schmitz possesses. Elflien is only signed through 2023, so Schmitz may learn the ropes in year one before assuming the starter role at center in 2024.

Round 5: Pick 151 – De’Corian Clark, WR, UTSA

DJ Moore and Zay Flowers are two receivers that win by dicing up defenses, both while route running and with the ball in their hands. The Panthers lack a consistent jump ball specialist, though (sorry Terrace Marshall Jr.).

UTSA wide receiver, De’Corian Clark, will check that box off for the group. Clark looks the part of an NFL receiver in pads, profiling as a guy that can go up and get any ball thrown his way. He stands at 6-foot-3, 210 pounds, but plays like he is half a foot taller.

Clark’s career with the Roadrunners ramped up in 2021 after the uber-talented receiver earned a starting role on the offense. He recorded a stat line of 52/755/7 as a first-time starter and is on pace to blow by those numbers in 2022.

Through seven games, Clark already has 44 receptions, 678 yards, and seven touchdowns. Testing will ultimately decide where Clark goes in the 2023 NFL Draft, but if he is available later in the event, the Carolina Panthers should scoop him up and add his posterizing skillset to the fold.