CHARLOTTE — All the attention surrounding the Panthers' upcoming draft has been around that first pick, which will be used on a quarterback.
But the Panthers have other needs, and other picks, as they try to fill out the roster heading into the season. We're taking a look at those needs and how the rest of their picks could be used to fill them.
Other than the first one, the Panthers have five other picks this year, beginning with their own second-rounder (39th overall), San Francisco's third-rounder (93rd), two fourths (114th and 132nd), and a fifth (145th).
So here's a look at two more of the positions they could look to address and some of the possibilities with those picks (We'll hit more positions of need in the coming days, and here's a look from last week at the receivers and tight ends who could be of interest).
INSIDE LINEBACKER
Why it's a need: The Panthers took a step toward stability on defense by bringing back veteran Shaq Thompson on a restructured contract. But because they were playing a different defense (and they were running lean in the middle anyway), there aren't a lot of natural inside linebackers on this roster. Frankie Luvu will likely get the starting nod next to Thompson, but he's a hybrid player with rush ability, so nailing him inside might not be the most efficient use of his strengths.
As far as positional value goes, this is down the list. Things like corners and pass-rushers and touchdown-scorers are generally going to be of greater value than inside linebackers. But other than Thompson, there's no other natural answer on the roster, so it's more of a concern. In recent years, he was playing next to a line of rentals in the middle, so having more of a long-term plan there could be helpful.
Possibilities at 39: This is one of the positions where the depth of this draft may match up well with the Panthers' needs.
There's a clump of talented linebackers, who could fall to the end of the first or early second round, and enough of them to make it worth considering moving back and getting some more stuff if they want to address it early.
For a point of reference, Eric Edholm's list of Top 100 prospects on NFL.com has Arkansas' Drew Sanders at No. 35, Iowa's Jack Campbell at No. 53, Clemson's Trenton Simpson at No. 62, and Washington State's Daiyan Henley at No. 65.
(It's worth noting that the team draft boards can vary widely, and linebackers are kind of an eye-of-the-beholder position anyway. Last year, the Broncos and defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero watched former undrafted and CFL refugee Alex Singleton have a career year with 163 tackles.)
You can get productive players at the position in all kinds of ways, but if you want high-end talent, investing early is the answer.
Any of the four aforementioned linebackers could be an immediate difference-maker on defense, as could a number of prospects. But they have to balance whether the depth at the position points them elsewhere. But make no mistake, a bigger body such as Campbell or Simpson would be a welcome addition.
Possibilities at 93 and beyond: Again, because teams value this position in their own unique ways, the market can get depressed here. And if they move back for added assets, it could become a target position.
Players such as Tulane's Dorian Williams pop on tape, and there are guys who will be scheme-specific that could be found in later rounds.
CORNERBACK
Why it's a need: Because everybody needs cornerbacks, and a lot of them. And the ones the Panthers have come with some question marks.
While 2021 first-rounder Jaycee Horn gives them a stable place to build any defense, there are reasonable concerns about the rest of the depth chart. Veteran starter Donte Jackson is coming off a torn Achilles (and recovering well), and CJ Henderson alternates between bright flashes of talent and some on-field lapses that become highlights in the other direction. But the talent among the top three there is obvious.
It drops off a bit after that. They brought in veteran defensive back Eric Rowe, a versatile nickel and safety, giving them an option in the secondary. And young players such as Keith Taylor Jr. and newcomer Herb Miller and special teamer Stantley Thomas-Oliver III are competing for depth roles.
The Panthers have seen what happens when you run out, so reinforcing the position is top-of-mind.
Possibilities at 39: The top guys, such as Oregon's Christian Gonzalez and Illinois' Devon Witherspoon, will be long gone; they're top-half-of-the-first prospects. And because there's generally a run on corners, sometimes lower-graded players get over-drafted.
The Panthers have looked at a number of prospects which a lot of online outlets peg in the 15-40 range, so this is an interesting group to monitor.
So players such as Penn State's Joey Porter Jr. (No. 17 on Edholm's list) or Maryland's Deonte Banks (No. 21) will likely be gone, but a large group at the position remains.
One of the more intriguing evaluations in this class is Mississippi State's Emmanuel Forbes (No. 31). He's rail-thin (6-1, 166 pounds), and that will disqualify him for some teams. But he makes a ton of plays and holds the NCAA record with six interceptions returned for touchdowns.
Possibilities at 93 and beyond: Again, this is a deep group, and some named might get drafted higher than they should because of the law of supply and demand.
Georgia's Kelee Ringo might be a late first-rounder, and the name recognition he gained from making timely plays in playoff games. But some teams think he might also be a safety in the NFL. He has size and athleticism, but he's presented some uneven game tape as well.
South Carolina's Cam Smith is lean (6-1, 180) but has good instincts and has made plays, and is part of a group that will likely come off the board during the second day of the draft (the second and third rounds).
Look back on some of the productive draft picks the Panthers made in the second and third rounds of the NFL Draft all the way back to 1995.
Wide receiver Terrace Marshall Jr. was picked in the second round (59th overall) of the 2021 NFL Draft out of LSU. Marshall played in 13 games in his rookie season, tallying 17 receptions for 138 yards.
Brady Christensen was selected in the third round (70th overall) of the 2021 NFL Draft out of BYU. He played in 16 games with six starts along the line in his rookie season in 2021.
Tommy Tremble was picked in the third round (83rd overall) out of Notre Dame in the 2021 NFL Draft. He played in 16 games with 11 starts, making 20 receptions for 180 yards and scoring two total touchdowns.
Jeremy Chinn was drafted in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft. He led the Panthers with 106 tackles in 2021, joining Jon Beason and Luke Kuechly as the only players with at least 100 tackles in each of their first two seasons in Carolina.
The Panthers used the 55th overall pick to select cornerback Donte Jackson in the second round of the 2018 draft. Since then, he's ranked second among his draft class with 12 interceptions in four seasons.
In 2017, Carolina drafted wide receiver Curtis Samuel in the second round with the 40th overall pick. From 2017-20, Samuel tallied 2,087 receiving yards, 478 rushing yards and 19 total touchdowns.
The Panthers drafted offensive lineman Taylor Moton 64th overall in the second round of the 2017 draft. Moton is one of five NFL players to play 100 percent of the offensive snaps in each of the last four seasons (2018-21).
Cornerback James Bradberry was drafted in the second round of the 2016 Draft. He made eight interceptions for the Panthers between 2016-19.
Carolina drafted wide receiver Devin Funchess in the second round of the 2015 NFL Draft. From 2015-18, Funchess tallied 2,233 receiving yards which ranks eighth in franchise history.
Defensive end Kony Ealy was drafted in the second round of the 2014 NFL Draft. In Super Bowl 50, Ealy tallied three sacks, an interception and a forced fumble.
Offensive lineman Trai Turner was selected with 92nd overall pick in the third round of the 2014 draft. Over the next six seasons, Turner made five consecutive Pro Bowl appearances from 2015-2019.
In 2013, the Panthers selected defensive tackle Kawann Short with the 44th overall pick in the second round. His 32.5 career sacks are the most by any Panthers defensive tackle in franchise history.
Carolina drafted safety Charles Godfrey with pick No. 67 in the third round of the 2008 draft. During his seven seasons in Carolina, Godfrey recorded a team-high 11 interceptions, including a career-high five picks in 2010.
The Panthers drafted center Ryan Kalil No. 59 overall in the second round of the 2007 draft. Kalil spent 12 seasons in Carolina earning five Pro Bowl appearances and two All-Pro nods.
In the third round of the 2007 draft, the Panthers selected defensive Charles Johnson with the 83rd overall pick. After 11 seasons in Carolina, Johnson finished second in franchise history with 67.5 career sacks, including team highs in 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2014.
In 2006, the Panthers used the No. 58 overall pick to draft defensive back Richard Marshall in the second round. Marshall spent five years in Carolina, where he finished with a team-high 14 interceptions from 2006-2010.
The Panthers selected linebacker James Anderson with the 88th overall pick in the third round of the 2006 draft. Anderson proved to be a valuable addition to the linebacker corps, twice leading the team in tackles, including a career-high 145 stops in 2011.
The Panthers selected offensive lineman Travelle Wharton in the third round of the 2004 draft with the 94th overall pick. Wharton started 111 of the 115 games he played in over his nine seasons in Carolina, filling in at both guard and tackle.
The Panthers drafted Ricky Manning, Jr. No. 82 overall in the third round of the 2003 draft. Manning may not have been with the Panthers for long – just three seasons – but he'll always be remembered for his three-interception game in the NFC Championship in 2003.
In 2002, the Panthers used the 34th overall pick to draft running back DeShaun Foster in the second round. Foster led the Panthers in rushing yards each year from 2005-2007, and scored two of Carolina's most memorable post-season touchdowns in the 2003 NFC Championship and Super Bowl 38.
The Panthers selected linebacker Will Witherspoon with the No. 73 overall pick in the third round of the 2002 draft. Witherspoon was part of a dominant group of linebackers during his four years Carolina, finishing with a team-high 342 tackles in that stretch.
The Panthers drafted defensive tackle Kris Jenkins in the second round with the No. 44 overall pick in 2001. Jenkins earned three Pro Bowl and two All-Pro nods in Carolina, where he helped the Panthers establish one of the most fearsome defensive fronts in the NFL.
With the 74th overall pick in the third round of the 2001 draft, the Panthers selected wide receiver Steve Smith, and the rest is history. Smith finished his 16-year career with 14,731 receiving yards to rank eighth all-time in the NFL. During his 13 years in Carolina, Smith made five Pro Bowl appearances and earned All-Pro honors twice. He was selected to the Panthers Hall of Honor in 2019.
The Panthers drafted safety Deon Grant in the second round of the 2000 draft with the 57th overall pick. Grant only spent three years in Carolina, but during that stretch he started all 52 games the Panthers played, and led the team with 11 interceptions over that period.
In the 1999 draft, the Panthers used the No. 38 overall pick to select defensive end Mike Rucker in the second round. Rucker spent nine years in Carolina, where he finished his career third on the Panthers all-time sack list with 55.5 sacks.
In 1997, the Panthers drafted safety Mike Minter in the second round with the 56th overall pick. Minter spent 10 seasons leading Carolina from the secondary, where he totaled 594 tackles in that stretch and ranks fourth all-time in franchise history in interceptions.
The Panthers selected wide receiver Muhsin Muhammad with the 43rd overall pick in the second round of the 1996 draft. Muhammad spent 11 years in Carolina over two separate stints, and still ranks second in franchise history in receiving yards (9,255) and touchdowns (50).
