Panthers mailbag: Could Carolina still select a wide receiver on Day 2 of NFL Draft?
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2023 NFL Draft
The Carolina Panthers hold the top pick in this year’s draft and there’s plenty of intrigue surrounding the team and what it will do. Check out all our pre-draft coverage here.
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The Panthers are just two weeks away from selecting a potential franchise quarterback with the first overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.
Naturally, with constant rumors flying around, Carolina fans are excited to get any little nuggets of information and analysis that they can before the draft gets underway. That’s why The Observer opens up its weekly mailbag to field fan questions ahead of the selection process.
Here are some recent standout questions from our Twitter mailbag:
From Carter on Twitter: Wide receiver still possible at No. 39?
Mike Kaye: It’s certainly still a possibility. Outside of veteran free-agent addition Adam Thielen, who turns 33 in August, the Panthers don’t have a wide receiver under contract beyond 2024.
DJ Chark, another free-agent addition, signed a one-year, $5 million deal. And his leg and ankle injury histories are pretty substantial.
Ultimately, while the Panthers gave themselves some big-name insurance at wideout, the position could still use some depth.
Remember, Terrace Marshall Jr. flashed at times last season but still failed to consistently make possession plays. The Panthers shouldn’t forget about the position just because Marshall, Chark and Thielen are starting-caliber players. Beyond that trio, the depth chart is quite light on proven talent.
While this wideout draft class has received lukewarm reviews, the Panthers could take advantage of having an early second-round pick and snag one of the playmakers who drops out of the first round.
TCU’s Quentin Johnston, Cincinnati’s Tyler Scott, USC’s Jordan Addison and UNC’s Josh Downs all feel like potential second-round options for the Panthers.
Johnston, in particular, is a potential upgrade at the X receiver position. Downs would be added ammo in the slot/gadget weapon game, while Scott and Addison have the makings of Chark insurance at the Z position.
And while addressing the position as early as No. 39 makes sense, the Panthers will have some options in the third and fourth rounds as well. Ole Miss wideout Jonathan Mingo would be a name to monitor in that range.
From Greg on Twitter: Do the Panthers add another pass rusher via free agency or is it all draft and undrafted free agents from here?
MK: The Panthers have done a good job of staying patient with the free-agent market.
Just last week, the Panthers got value buys on Kamu Grugier-Hill and Eric Rowe. Both of those players will help the defensive depth chart.
Obviously, signing a top-flight pass rusher is a little different, but the market hasn’t been too kind to those players to this point. Leonard Floyd and Yannick Ngakoue both remain on the market, and as long as both stay unsigned, it’s hard to rule either out for the Panthers.
As I’ve previously reported, the Panthers had interest in Floyd earlier in free agency but his price tag was out of their range. The Panthers could seemingly wait until Day 2 of the draft and use the process as leverage against Floyd to get him to come down on his asking price. Carolina could also wait until after the draft when the market potentially resets for veteran players.
Day 2 of the draft seems to be a good spot for the Panthers to look for pass-rushing help. If they strike out there, they can always go back to the Floyd negotiations.
The Panthers do need help at the EDGE position opposite Brian Burns, but they still have plenty of options to explore, even as the countdown to the draft nears completion.
From Riverboat Rob on Twitter: Biggest area of need besides quarterback after free agency? Favorite target for second round?
MK: Right now, the biggest need for the Panthers — outside of quarterback — is EDGE rusher. As mentioned above, the Panthers are lacking a true complement to Burns at the position.
In a 3-4 defense, the EDGE rushers — on both sides — make the unit sink or swim. While Burns is a Pro Bowl talent, he can’t operate as the lone effective pass rusher for this group.
Marquis Haynes, Amare Barno and Yetur Gross-Matos haven’t proven they can be full-time EDGE rushers at this point in their respective careers. However, one of them might surprise us come training camp.
That said, the Panthers should invest in an upgrade through free agency or the NFL draft. LSU’s BJ Ojulari and Kansas State’s Felix Anudike-Uzomah are probably the best second-round options at the EDGE rusher spot in the draft.
And while EDGE is a big area of need, the Panthers should also be looking at their three- and five-technique positions. DeShawn Williams was brought in to book end the line opposite Derrick Brown. But Williams only signed a one-year deal, and he should be facing competition at some point this summer.
Georgia Tech defensive end Keion White is one of the likely second-round prospects who I think fits what the Panthers need on the line. He’s athletic and versatile, and those are the types of traits Panthers assistant general manager Dan Morgan and his scouting staff are looking for in the draft.
Overall though, South Carolina cornerback Cam Smith and Georgia tight end Darnell Washington are probably my favorite potential options for Carolina on Day 2.
This story was originally published April 12, 2023 at 6:30 AM with the headline "Panthers mailbag: Could Carolina still select a wide receiver on Day 2 of NFL Draft?."
