CORNERS
Carolina can barely field a complete defense currently, with cornerback being a huge need. With the departures of Bradberry, Elliott and Cockrell, the Panthers need at least two corners in the draft. Luckily, there are a lot of corners in this draft with good skill sets that fit Snow’s scheme. With pick seven, there are only two that need to be considered.
JEFFREY OKUDAH
Okudah is by far the best corner in the draft. A five-star athlete out of high school, Okudah maintained and exceeded expectations at Ohio State. He is exceptional at playing all types of coverages and has great ball skills. Okudah possesses quick feet, oily hips and great recovery speed. He’s the real deal and a much needed piece in a depleted Panthers’ defense. Okudah may not make it to pick seven, but if he is, the Panthers need to pounce. Especially with the departure of James Bradberry.
CJ HENDERSON
This might be considered a reach at seven, but there’s a lot of interest here. There’s a lot of talk about Carolina taking Henderson with the seventh pick. Matt Rhule offered Henderson a scholarship in 2016, Rhule’s first year (actually, his very first day) at Baylor, so there’s definitely a familiarity. Henderson is solid in coverage and has an athletic profile that Rhule covets. Henderson has tremendous upside and is a true shut-down corner, but don’t ask him to come down and tackle a running back. He’s not very good in run support, although a lot of that can be coached. If Carolina wants Henderson, they may have to take him at seven instead of trading back for him, because they’re not the only team with a top ten grade on him.
TRADE-BACK POSSIBILITIES
If there would be a trade back to gain more picks, there are a few corners that Carolina could target in the first.
KRISTIAN FULTON
Fulton is pushing Henderson for CB2 in my personal ranking system. He’s tall, fast and has good ball skills. He’s definitely a target for Carolina if they were to trade back.
TREVON DIGGS
This is another corner that is pushing Henderson for CB2. I love Diggs’ game. He’s fast and physical, and has the athletic profile that Rhule covets. Diggs has tremendous ball skills and could be a true shutdown corner at the next level. He’s probably the best option in a trade-back scenario.
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