The Matt Rhule era is officially underway, and the Carolina Panthers picked up a few impressive players in the 2020 NFL Draft. It's clear that Rhule believes the Panthers have work to do on the defensive side of the ball, as this year the Panthers became the first team in the common draft era -- which dates all the way back to 1967 -- to take only seven defensive players.
If there's one things the Panthers definitely did right last week, it was solidifying the defensive front. The Panthers lost several important pieces on defense this offseason, but picked up one of the more impressive players in this class with the No. 7 overall pick in Derrick Brown -- who earned unanimous consensus All-American honors during his senior season at Auburn. The Panthers then took defensive end Yetur Gross-Matos, who racked up 18.5 sacks during his time at Penn State and earned first-team All-Big-Ten honors as a junior. Both of these players could have the opportunity to come in and make an immediate impact for Carolina.
While there's no doubt that the Panthers got better in the draft, not everything is perfect for Carolina heading into the 2020 season. There are still some weaknesses on this team, so let's take a look at what the Panthers didn't do in the 2020 NFL Draft.
1. Completely fix the cornerback position
While the Panthers did take Troy Pride Jr. out of Notre Dame in the fourth round and Stantley Thomas-Oliver III out of FIU in the seventh round, those picks alone don't have fans feeling much better about the cornerback position. After losing James Bradberry to the New York Giants in free agency, Pride Jr. is slotted to be a starter across Donte Jackson -- who was benched last season after struggling. Some believe the Panthers should have utilized their first-round pick on a cornerback. I wouldn't have gone that far, but I certainly wouldn't have waited until the fourth round to make a move for one.
Both Pride Jr. and Thomas-Oliver are prospects that have potential -- but how much can you really expect from them in Year 1? Moving forward, the Panthers should explore the trade market for a veteran cornerback or take a shot at free agency. Veterans Logan Ryan and Aqib Talib are still available, as are other players such as Darqueze Dennard or Eli Apple. The Panthers absolutely have to do something at cornerback before training camp rolls around.
2. Give the offensive line some help
The Panthers did sign several offensive linemen who were free agents after the draft, but I would have considered using one of my draft picks on an offensive guard. The Panthers traded Trai Turner away for Russell Okung earlier this offseason -- which solved a problem at left tackle but also created a problem at guard.
The starting five of Okung, Dennis Daley, Matt Paradis, John Miller and Taylor Moton is not exactly going to strike fear into the hearts of pass rushers around the NFC South. Okung and Paradis are probably locks to start at their respective positions, while Moton and Greg Little are versatile players who can play in different spots and one might start at guard. The Panthers did sign former Los Angeles Chargers offensive guard Michael Schofield, so he could be an option at guard as well. Even if Rhule comes up with a decent starting lineup, the Panthers virtually have zero depth -- so they better hope they hit on a couple of these undrafted free agents. All in all, I would have considered taking an offensive lineman somewhere in the draft.
3. Take an offensive weapon
On paper, Carolina's offense doesn't look too bad heading into the 2020 season. They have a new quarterback in Teddy Bridgewater as well as D.J. Moore, Robby Anderson and Curtis Samuel at wideout. Running back Christian McCaffrey has a new contract. Ian Thomas is the starter at tight end. Still, there's a reason both the Kansas City Chiefs and Baltimore Ravens used at least one of their top two picks on offensive players.
This was one of the deeper wide receiver classes in recent memory -- with talent littered all over the board from the first to the seventh round. Taking a receiver later in the draft would have been something I considered, or even a tight end to help Thomas develop. You could have also convinced me to take a running back -- someone who could pair well with McCaffrey.
Overall, it was a great draft for the Panthers. It just would have been better if the Panthers spent at least one or two of their picks on some other needs on the offensive side of the ball.
