The Carolina Panthers have several pressing needs across their roster on both sides of the ball. In order to compete next season, they will need to address as many of these areas as possible between free agency and the 2024 NFL Draft.
Unfortunately for the Panthers, they do not have a first-round pick in 2024 after trading it along with wide receiver DJ Moore to the Chicago Bears as part of the deal that secured them the rights to draft Bryce Young last season.
While securing a franchise quarterback is essential, Young has struggled to live up to expectations on a roster that is lacking in talent around him. To rub salt in the wound, the pick that Carolina traded to Chicago ended up being the first overall pick in the 2024 draft.
The Panthers have plenty of needs. Among their needs are pass protectors for Young and running backs to take the pressure off their young QB and diversify their offense.
Let’s take a look at some players the Panthers should be targeting in Rounds 2 and 3 of the 2024 NFL Draft.
Amarius Mims
Amarius Mims will likely be a late first-round or early second-round draft pick, and he could provide protection for Young’s blindside for the next decade. Physically, Mims has everything that you want in a prospect. He’s strong, physical, and extremely athletic for his size. What Mims doesn’t have is significant experience and the accompanying game tape.
If Mims is viewed as too raw of a player, this could cause him to fall slightly in the draft, which in turn could leave him still available when Carolina is on the clock. If the Panthers get lucky and find themselves in this scenario, they should be sprinting to turn in their card and add Mims to the roster.
If there is any player in this year’s draft who could be reasonably available late in the first round and is worthy of surrendering assets to trade up, Mims would be that player. This pick would not only be an investment in Mims, but it would also be an investment in Young as their franchise quarterback.
Blake Corum and Donovan Edwards
The Panthers desperately need to improve their running game. Bryce Young is a talented young quarterback, but he has had plenty of struggles this season. One of the best ways to help a young quarterback grow is to provide them with an exceptional running game to lean on to do most of the heavy lifting.
While the Panthers do not have their first-round pick in 2024, this works out because drafting a running back in the first round is typically not good value for a team. Some running backs have gone early in the draft in recent years, but even the best backs often fail to live up to their draft slot. Even running backs such as Ezekiel Elliott and Saquon Barkley have been unable to lead their respective teams to postseason success, despite their individual accomplishments.
Luckily for the Panthers, there are two talented running backs who should be available in the second or even third rounds, where they could present excellent value for their draft slot. Blake Corum and Donovan Edwards both have qualities that make them elite runners, but Corum is the better of the two backs.
Corum has elite speed and knows how to leverage his speed to trick defenders into taking bad angles, allowing him to outrun them and turn big plays into home runs. He combines this speed with excellent vision and physicality. He knows where the holes are going to open up and when to hit them.
Corum runs with a low pad level and incredible balance. This allows him to break tackles at a high rate and gain extra yards.
Corum is a versatile and adaptable back who can fit effectively into virtually any offensive scheme. This makes him an offensive coordinator‘s dream player and increases his value to a team. Corum is comfortable taking handoffs in a variety of formations, which can open up the playbook and help his team to better disguise their scheme and keep the defense on their toes. Not only does this benefit Corum, but it benefits the rest of the offense as well, particularly the offensive linemen and pass catchers.
By all accounts, Corum is the type of person you want in your locker room as well. In the 2023 edition of The Game against Ohio State, Corum scored a touchdown shortly after one of his offensive lineman, Zak Zinter, had suffered a brutal injury. During the ensuing celebration, Corum flashed Zinter’s number to the cameras, dedicating the touchdown to his injured lineman.
Edwards is a similar running back to Corum in many ways, with elite vision and excellent physicality. Where Edwards falls short is his ability to be a home-run threat. Edwards does not have the same level of breakaway speed that Corum does, which prevents him from turning big plays into game-changing touchdowns.
The best path forward
The Panthers' best path forward involves securing the services of an offensive lineman to protect their home for franchise quarterback. Mims is the best lineman that can be reasonably expected to be available, so he should be their primary draft target.
In the third round, the Panthers should look to improve their running game by selecting one of the two Michigan running backs, Corum or Donovan Edwards. There is a good chance that both could still be available when Michigan picks in the third round. If that scenario were to occur, Corum should be the pick over Edwards.
However, the Panthers should be thrilled if they are able to end up with Mims and either of the Michigan running backs.
That would constitute a successful draft for the Panthers, and it would significantly improve their outlook for 2024 and beyond.
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