In this article, we’ll take a look at players consistently mocked to the Carolina Panthers before the combine and how they performed in Indianapolis. For this list, we’ll be focusing on players consistently mocked to the Panthers, not players who pundits randomly have the Panthers taking in order to generate clicks or hot takes.
Risers
Sonny Styles, LB, Ohio State
Styles was a player who might not have made it to 19 before the combine. Afterwards, it will take a miracle for him to last that long come April’s draft. He absolutely blew
away the combine events. At the end of the weekend, he had notched a 4.46 40-yard dash, 43.5” vertical, 11’2” broad jump, 7.09 three cone drill, and a 4.26 short shuttle. He did all that while measuring 6’5” and 244 lbs. He also looked insanely smooth in on-field drills, leading some analysts to predict he actually gets drafted before fellow Ohio State linebacker Arvell Reese.
Kenyon Sadiq, TE, Oregon
Sadiq has been a popular mock draft selection for the Panthers, which makes sense. The Panthers don’t have a tight end on the roster who has consistently shown the ability to be a game breaker in the receiving game. Sadiq measured well at 6’3” and 241 lbs, then absolutely blazed through a 4.39 forty. He also showed his explosiveness with a 43.5 inch vertical and 11’1” broad jump, all while cranking out 26 bench press reps. While the positional value might allow Sadiq to fall to the Panthers, this performance might entice a team in the teens to nab him.
Malachi Lawrence, EDGE, UCF
Every fringe first round edge prospect has been mocked to the Panthers at some point. Lawrence helped himself by putting on one of the best overall performances at this year’s combine for an edge defender. He showed he has the combination of size (6’4”, 253 lbs, 33 5/8” arms) and athleticism (4.52 forty, 40” vertical, 10’10” broad) combination that teams love to have on the edge.
Caleb Banks, DT, Florida
Banks has been slowly getting more and more steam over the last several weeks, largely due to his potential. His physical testing just reinforced how physically dominant he could be at the next level. Banks was built in a lab: 6’6”, 327 lbs, 35” arms, 5.04 forty, 32” vert, and 9’6” broad jump. Those who saw Banks in person marveled at how well put-together he was physically, and his athleticism was on full display. Over the last couple of weeks, Banks has been potentially challenging the top ten, and this performance (assuming the medicals also checked out) plus his performance at the Senior Bowl might just catapult him into that range.
Eli Stowers, TE, Vanderbilt
A popular second round mock selection for the Panthers, Stowers is often considered TE2 in this draft. While he was never going to run as fast as Sadiq, he still put on a great show of speed for his size, running a 4.51 forty at 6’4”, 239 lbs. On top of that, he had an absolutely outrageous 45.5” vertical and 11’3” broad jump. If the Panthers don’t take Sadiq in round one, they better hope Stowers is still there at pick 51.
Zachariah Branch, WR, Georgia
The Panthers need a home run hitter on offense, and many mocks had Branch going to the Panthers in the second round. Branch showed the film speed is for real, running a 4.35 forty with a 1.5 second ten yard split. He also showed good explosion with a 38” vertical and 10’5” broad jump, both of which are impressive for a guy who is only 5’9”. One of the more impressive aspects for me was the 20 bench press reps considering the 225 lbs on the bench are more than Branch weighs.
Jacob Rodriguez, LB, Texas Tech
Rodriguez is a CSR favorite for the Panthers third round selection, and he may have to be picked a round earlier than that to guarantee the Panthers get him. While his size won’t wow anyone (6’1”, 231 lbs), he showed an athleticism that some scouts were concerned he might not have. He ran a 4.57 forty, had a 38.5” vertical and 10’1” broad jump, and ran a sub-7-second three cone drill at 6.9 to go with a 4.19 short shuttle. The speed, agility, and acceleration were all areas that teams weren’t sure would hold up against NFL players. Rodriguez proved that he has enough of those elements to match his insane college production.
Fallers
LT Overton, EDGE, Alabama
Overton was a player who many thought could sneak into the mid second round, right around where the Panthers are picking at 51. With the Panthers so desperately needing pass rush, Overton made some sense. He has a lot of positives to his game, but athleticism was one area he needed a good showing at the combine to lock him into the second round or even push for a late first round selection. While he does have decent size (6’3”, 274 lbs), he only ran a 4.87 forty. He was already viewed as a bit of a tweener, and that lack of athleticism has many wondering if he can stick as a true edge or if he’ll have to move inside to be an undersized five technique tackle.
R Mason Thomas, EDGE, Oklahoma
Thomas has the exact opposite problem of Overton. While his athletic testing was good (4.67 forty), his size is a little concerning for some teams. He only stands 6’2” and weighs 241 lbs. That in and of itself isn’t a huge issue, but it becomes concerning when you combine it with his 31 5/8” arms. He’s already much smaller than the offensive lineman he’ll be up against in the NFL, and his short arms will make it even tougher for him to disengage when his athleticism isn’t enough to get past a blocker.
Kayden McDonald, DT, Ohio State
A lot of folks had McDonald as a potential late first round pick, probably sliding into the beginning of the second round. While he didn’t participate in athletic testing, he did do some position specific drills. Teams were hoping he’d show the athleticism to provide hope that he’d eventually grow into a three down defensive tackle, but his stiffness in on-field drills lessened that hope. If a team is going to take a nose tackle in the first round, he better be able to at least project as a halfway decent pass rusher in the future.
