Alabama Football: Tide breaks record in final NFL Mock Draft
By Dakota Cox
Alabama football breaks record in NFL Mock Draft 5.0
8. Carolina Panthers: Rashawn Slater, OT, Northwestern
After trading for Sam Darnold, the Panthers have plenty of options. This would be a great place to take Alabama football’s Patrick Surtain South Carolina’s Jaycee Horn. If they are in love with DeVonta Smith, he is worth the selection here. Heck, they could even add Justin Fields and give Darnold some competition.
Since we don’t know what the Panthers will value, I have them playing it safe and taking an offensive tackle. Sam Darnold needs support, something he never received as a member of the Jets.
Darnold can’t be relied on to win games with his legs. He needs to win in the pocket with protection, and that is what Slater can provide.
Many will debate where Slater will play. He could play either tackle position or potentially slide in at guard. It all depends on which team drafts him. The beauty of his versatility is that he can develop at guard or right tackle and eventually move over to the blindside if he needs to.
This might be early for Slater, but you can’t manufacture a player for the Panthers. They might trade down or consider taking Micah Parsons, but they are a question mark at this point in the draft process. If they take Slater, their offense will be significantly better. That’s all you can ask for.