Panthers.com Mock Draft Report

[CAPantherFan]

An overall look at who we may pick at 5/6.  Fun read....

https://www.panthers.com/news/2022-mock-draft-report-1-0-charles-cross-ahmad-gardner

CHARLOTTE - It's officially Mock Draft season for the Panthers. With the Senior Bowl practices coming next week, media outlets have started rolling out their predictions for the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft, scheduled for the end of April in Las Vegas.

Take a look at the analysis from each outlet as the majority of writers focused in on Charles Cross, a junior offensive tackle out of Mississippi State.

 

NFL.com

 

 

CB Ahmad Gardner

Cincinnati

DANIEL JEREMIAH: The Panthers will likely have their pick of any quarterback in the draft class, but, barring an unexpected move, they're committed (at least financially) to Sam Darnold for one more season. Gardner is the most gifted cornerback in the draft and would team with Carolina's 2021 first-rounder, Jaycee Horn, to give the Panthers the best young duo in the NFL.

 

ESPN.com

 

 

OT Charles Cross

Mississippi State

MEL KIPER JR.: This is an easy call based on Carolina's biggest weakness: It has to get a better left tackle. The Panthers ranked last in the league in yards per play (4.6) and 28th in sacks allowed (52). They went into the season with journeyman Cameron Erving manning the spot and finished with rookie third-rounder Brady Christensen filling in. Taylor Moton is a really solid right tackle, but they can upgrade the left side with this pick.

Cross took a big leap in 2021, allowing just a single sack while playing in a pass-happy Mike Leach offense. He can be a big-time NFL left tackle. This isn't a reach pick. The Panthers need to hit here because they don't have second- or third-round picks due to trades for quarterback Sam Darnold and cornerback CJ Henderson. This is a massive draft for coach Matt Rhule, who fired his offensive coordinator and might have to make the playoffs in 2022 to keep his job.

 

CBS Sports

 

 

OT Charles Cross

Mississippi State

RYAN WILSON: Quarterback makes all the sense in the world here, but it's important to remember these two words: Fit matters. Put Mac Jones on the the Jets and he probably looks a lot more like Zach Wilson than a legit Rookie of the Year candidate. So knowing that, the Panthers bolster the offensive line and perhaps find their next franchise QB via free agency or a trade. Cross is a high-upside athletic offensive tackle who had a strong season for Mississippi State.

 

PFF

 

 

OT Charles Cross

Mississippi State

TREVOR SIKKEMA: It has got to be an offensive line selection for the Carolina Panthers — it just has to be. They’ll likely try to add some veteran talent at interior offensive line during free agency, but left tackle Cam Erving (56.0 PFF grade in 2021) and left guard Pat Elflien (50.1) can’t be counted on again.

Cross is still fine-tuning his craft, but he has really smooth movement for a player of his size. After flashing traits in his first year as a starter in 2020, he gave up only 16 pressures on 719 pass-blocking snaps this past season. It's hard to not think a great NFL career is ahead of him.

 

Athletic

 

 

OT Charles Cross

Mississippi State

DANE BRUGLER: If the Panthers strike out on their quarterback options in free agency and on the trade market, this could be the spot where we see the first quarterback drafted. This is Carolina’s only draft pick in the top 100, putting even more pressure on Matt Rhule and the organization to get this selection right.

Cross is talented enough to be OT1 on some team’s draft boards. He has the athleticism and movement patterns to be comfortable pass-blocking on an island, and his hands are well-timed and precise. Cross should be able to start from day one as a rookie.

 

Draft Network

 

 

OT Charles Cross

Mississippi State

BRYAN PEREZ: Carolina has been a popular landing spot for a quarterback in a lot of mock drafts, but I don’t think that’s the direction they’re going to take. Instead, they focus on the offensive line here with Cross, who’s a bit of an overlooked name at the top of the offensive tackle rankings. He’s a plus athlete but needs to get a little stronger before he can be considered a player with the same kind of upside as Ekwonu and Neal. Regardless, he’d be an immediate starter (and upgrade) for Matt Rhule and the Panthers.

[CAPantherFan]

Please please please pick one of the OT.  I'll die if we pick anything else - especially a QB!

[mav1234]

"Cornering" the market, haha

 

[CAPantherFan]

If Daniel Jeremiah thinks we're taking a CB at 5/6....

[SmokinwithWilly]

This is what drives me crazy. We drafted a LT. We only played him 3 games and he looked ok. Could be good, could be bad. Who knows. We would if Rhay-Z would have started him. So now we need a LT in this draft, or do we? And we need Rhule's evaluation to select one, even though he couldn't recognize Slater's ability to play the position. It's not that I'm against drafting a LT. I just hate drafting one when we have one on the roster and have no idea whether or not he could effectively play the position long term. There's no reason to be in this position right now, but here we are. 

[DeAngelo Beason]

Do you think the guy who said CB is just trying to be a smartass?

[Smithers]

1 minute ago, SmokinwithWilly said:

This is what drives me crazy. We drafted a LT. We only played him 3 games and he looked ok. Could be good, could be bad. Who knows. We would if Rhay-Z would have started him. So now we need a LT in this draft, or do we? And we need Rhule's evaluation to select one, even though he couldn't recognize Slater's ability to play the position. It's not that I'm against drafting a LT. I just hate drafting one when we have one on the roster and have no idea whether or not he could effectively play the position long term. There's no reason to be in this position right now, but here we are. 

BC offers flexibility.  LTs are hard to come by.  Draft one and move BC to LG.  BC is then your backup LT if an injury occurs.  

[Dilla]

I like DJ but if we draft another corner in the first, I'll flip out.

[mwright350]

Every time I read that [fine example of an intellectual powerhouse] DJ predict we take a corner I break into uncontrollable laughter.  It's really becoming a problem.

[d-dave]

4 minutes ago, DeAngelo Beason said:

Do you think the guy who said CB is just trying to be a smartass?

Daniel Jeremiah was saying that he used to fear the hate from fans.  Now he just embraces it (because it drives clicks and helps him keep his job).  

Mock drafts are an intellectual exercise at best.  Entertainment.  Just something to pass the time before the real decision makers fug it all up

[SmokinwithWilly]

3 minutes ago, Smithers said:

BC offers flexibility.  LTs are hard to come by.  Draft one and move BC to LG.  BC is then your backup LT if an injury occurs.  

BC didn't look good at LG. I think he could make a good swing tackle if he's not long term starter material. I just hate being in the position of needing to draft a position because of incompetence. 

[Ricky Spanish]

I have a sneaking suspicion that we are taking a QB at 6. 

[davos]

31 minutes ago, SmokinwithWilly said:

BC didn't look good at LG. I think he could make a good swing tackle if he's not long term starter material. I just hate being in the position of needing to draft a position because of incompetence. 

I've come to the conclusion that Brady's best role may be a guy who isn't starting and he's a top swing lineman, first depth piece to fill in at T or G.  I know we all want him to desperately become this long-term starter, mainly because he was the first legit OL we've taken in forever, but he may not be the right piece.  

Charles Cross or Ekwonu are upgrades that could be top-10-15 LT types their rookie year.  Not worth thinking LT is filled because it may be Brady Christensen's best position in the NFL.  And who knows, maybe he plays LG better with a better tackle to his left and center to his right.

If he's sitting between Charles Cross and let's say Bozeman or Ben Jones, then all of a sudden we may have something.

[Khyber53]

Right now, I think we need a center much more than we need a tackle. Keep Brady and Taylor at the tackles, keep working with Deonte at guard and move Elflein to LG and let him train up both Brady and the next tackle. Look for a young guard with a couple of years experience out there in free agency, doesn't have to be a starter if he's been on one of the teams with a first class o-line already -- strong, smart and mean are the three key traits as he may have to take over at either LG or RG.

Draft Linderbaum even if you think it is too early. Grab him and set the center of your offense for the next decade. This is you Ryan Kalil move. Do not make it your Matt Kalil move. Got it?