Apparently, the Carolina Panthers ordered some extra . . . Sauce.
(Sorry, had to do it.)
This week, ESPN senior writer Todd McShay released his post-Super Bowl edition 2022 NFL mock draft. And, like a few other draftniks before him, he has the Panthers going with Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner.
“This was the most difficult pick for me,” McShay notes. “For one, the QB situation remains unresolved. The Panthers are financially invested in Sam Darnold for 2022, but it’s apparent he isn’t the long-term solution. Even so, No. 6 is too rich for any of the signal-callers in this class, and if Carolina is set on drafting one, a move back would be prudent. Then there is the offensive line, which surrendered 52 sacks in 2021 (fifth most). But again, the board doesn’t fill the holes.”
Investing in their offensive line—one that saw 12 different starting configurations this past season—would obviously be a wise approach with this pick for Carolina. To this point in McShay’s mock, Mississippi State University tackle Charles Cross and University of Iowa center Tyler Lindbaum remain on the board at the sixth overall slot.
But, as McShay continues to theorize, Gardner’s value is much too great to pass up here.
“So I ended up going with the best available, and that’s absolutely Gardner,” he adds. “I mean, he gave up all of 60 yards in 14 games last season. That’s a true shutdown cornerback. And yes, the Panthers took Jaycee Horn at No. 8 last season, but this duo would be one of the best young tandems in the league. A team has used top-10 picks on defensive backs in back-to-back drafts just three times in the common draft era — and Carolina traded for CJ Henderson, who was Jacksonville’s ninth pick in 2019 — but Stephon Gilmore and Donte Jackson are both free agents, meaning this group isn’t as strong as it appears.”
There is a very real chance the Panthers could lose not only one, but both of Gilmore and Jackson to free agency. And if that’s the case, going the “best available player” route might end up filling a need after all—one that may not be filled by their prior swap for Henderson.
When the Panthers traded for Henderson midseason, they traded for a project—fully embracing that the 2020 ninth overall selection would need time to develop into his billing. But if he’s yet to take that next step—having a particularly rangy, instinctual and athletic outside corner to pair with your other particularly rangy, instinctual and athletic outside corner isn’t a bad idea.
