Why Rashawn Slater Is the Likely Carolina Panthers Pick At No. 8 | Eastern NC Now

Publisher's Note: This post appears here courtesy of Cat Crave. The author of this post is Dean Jones.


    The Carolina Panthers are likely out of the quarterback hunt during the 2021 NFL Draft after acquiring Sam Darnold from the New York Jets. General manager Scott Fitterer didn't dismiss the notion entirely, but it would be a jaw-dropping lack of confidence in their recent acquisition who they gave up three picks over the next two years to bring on board.

    At the very least, getting Darnold gives the Panthers far more options at No. 8 overall. And if they were enamored with the likes of Trey Lance or Justin Fields, then their aggressive approach to finding an upgrade on Teddy Bridgewater this offseason would indicate they'd have moved up into a better position.

    There are still a couple of holes that need to be filled. Most notably, Carolina needs a prolific left tackle after Russell Okung left in free agency just one year removed from his arrival via trade from the Los Angeles Chargers, which was another failed attempt to find an adequate replacement for Jordan Gross, who retired after the 2013 season.

    This has been an ongoing concern for the Panthers and they'll never get a better chance to bring in a college prospect of proven quality who can solidify blindside protection for the next decade.

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    Read the full article HERE on Cat Crave.