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The Carolina Panthers are very much focused on fixing two of their biggest weaknesses – their offensive and defensive lines – when it comes to the draft, and they’ve already begun meeting players who might be able to help in that regard.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter (via 247 Sports), the Panthers are hosting Florida Gators offensive tackle Jawaan Taylor for a pre-draft visit today. Highly regarded as one of the best tackle prospects in the draft pool, Taylor has been able to play both sides of the line, and could become an instant playmaker for a Panthers team that has suffered in that area before.
During his combine testing, Taylor measured 6-foot-5 and 312 pounds and bench-pressed 24 reps. While he didn’t take home any awards for his play, many in the media have described Taylor as a classic tackle prospect, and have noted his solid footwork and size as being big tools that can impact a teams offensive line.
Should the Panthers decide he is the one, they’ll likely be slotting him into the left tackle position, even though Taylor projects as a right tackle. This is due to the fact that Daryl Williams, a second-team All-Pro in 2017 – and Taylor Moton are both already solidified as the Panthers go to options for right tackle.
Although Taylor could play left tackle, it’s notoriously hard to learn both sides of the line, and Taylor might be better served playing his natural position for another team.
Regardless of who drafts him, what’s obvious is that the Panthers are very keen on trying to address the problems that have cost them in the past, and with a talented pool of both offensive and defensive line players in the 2019 NFL Draft, they should have their pick of potential impact players.
