The Carolina Panthers are the definition of inconsistency. That falls on the shoulders of Cam Newton because you never know which version is going to show up. Newton hasn’t thrown for 60% since 2013 and new offensive coordinator Norv Turner has been brought in to try to fix those issues. In fact, both Mike Shula and defensive coordinator Steve Wilks are gone after Wilks took the Arizona job. After an offseason without much roster turnover, what can we expect from the Carolina Panthers during the 2018 NFL Draft?
Holding the 24th overall pick, there’s a number of different directions the team could go in. After losing Andrew Norwell to free agency, Ryan Khalil set to retire in 2019, and Matt Khalil being trash after coming from the Vikings, Carolina needs help up front. With the 24th pick, Will Hernandez may be a reach but he fits what they need. Hernandez is a bulldozer at guard and could replace what Norwell leaves behind. Hernandez is one of the better offensive linemen in the draft and is sneaky athletic for his 330-pound size.
Carolina lost Jonathan Stewert this offseason and could use a complimentary running back to Christian McCaffrey. There’s the question that McCaffrey might actually be suited as a slot receiver so taking a running back needs to be a high priority. Nick Chubb could be a target. Chubb runs well between the tackles and could be a focal point of the offense when Cam does his zone-reads. Chubb is really athletic for a bigger back and is actually faster than his former collegiate teammate Sony Michel.
The Panthers also made a horrendous trade this year when they shipped off Daryl Worley for that piece of aging garbage Torrey Smith. To give a young corner away for nothing is baffling but now opens a hole at corner. Then again, why should we be surprised coming from a franchise that cut Josh Norman for no reason despite giving him the franchise tag just a month earlier? M.J. Stewart from North Carolina sits in their backyard and fits the Carolina defense. Stewart could be that slot corner Worley was. Stewart has four career interceptions during his college career.
