Dan Morgan and Dave Canales load up in tren

We’re entering the portion of the season where visions of draft picks begin to dance in the heads of Carolina Panthers fans like sugar plums. Back-to-back wins heading into the Week 11 bye have quelled a full succumbing to those visions, but let’s be honest, Panthers fans should still have one eye on the upcoming draft. A humbling at the hands of Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs after two weeks of rest will ramp up thoughts of the future, but we’re going to take an early look at what Carolina’s draft haul could look like come April. 

The return of D.J Wonnum was a super-boost for the Panthers soft pass rush, but Carolina still needs depth on the edge. In this scenario, that help comes in the form of a pass rusher that has terrorized both the Big 10 and the SEC. 

Scourton boasts a big-time frame and talent to match. He’s amassed 17 sacks in two and a half years as a college rusher, flashing a combination size and strength that Ejiro Evero could covet. The ability for him to learn from an edge rusher that boasts a similarly freaking combination of size and burst, Jadeveon Clowney, would be a boon for the potential development of the current Texas A&M Aggie. 

Here’s what B/R has to say about Scourton’s overall package: “A big part of Nic Scourton’s appeal is his combination of size, strength, and athleticism. To put it in perspective, he has the frame of a more traditional hand-in-the-ground defensive end, but both Texas A&M and Purdue lined him up as a standup outside linebacker and had him drop into coverage on several occasions.”

Copy and paste everything about the Panthers dearth of talent on the edge and put it here. Carolina’s defense has been surprisingly solid in the back end. Jaycee Horn’s performance has him in line for a life-changing pay day, and Mike Jackson has acquitted himself well following the late summer trade that landed him in Carolina. The problem for Carolina’s defense is that duo and their compatriots can only cover for so long. It will be popular to project Carolina to double dip on pass rushers early in the draft, and that’s what happens in this mock. 

Tuimoloau doesn’t boast the same athleticism as Scourton, but he is a big, strong end that can set the edge in the run game. He projects as an early down player that can do-it-all, but cedes snaps in pure pass rush situations to allow twitchier defenders a chance to make an impact on the pocket. 

Those unfamiliar with Tuimoloau’s game should watch the highlights from his career-defining game in a Buckeyes win a Penn State from 2022 to get a first-hand look at his game-wrecking potential.

Drafting LSU receivers has become something of a cheat code for NFL offenses looking for a boost (don’t look up who the Panthers drafted in the second round of 2021). Lacy is less heralded that some of the pass-catchers that came before him, but the late blooming prospect projects to be an impactful NFL receiver. 

Lacy sat behind some LSU greats last season (first-round picks Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas Jr.), but he burst onto the scene with a couple of big-time performances in LSU’s 2024 early season slate. The Draft Network classifies Lacy as “.. a well-rounded receiver who can win at every level of the field that surprises with advanced release packages and yards-after-catch ability,” which sounds like somebody the Panthers offense could use. Jalen Coker and Xavier Legette have turned heads with their rookie season production, but another perimeter weapon is still necessary for Carolina’s offense to function at a high level. That may not be Lacy, a projected third-round pick, but he has the talent worth gambling on at this point in the NFL Draft.

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