Carolina Panthers Early 2010 Mock Draft

The Carolina Panthers are coming off of a very disappointing 2009 season, where they were expected to contend for an NFC South title.

Early on in the season Carolina had some quarterbacking issues with Jake Delhomme throwing consistent interceptions. Now with Jake on the bench the Panthers are playing there best football.

The Carolina Panthers have no first round pick this year, and they will mostly likely settle for a second round pick unless they make a draft-day trade.

Carolina doesn't have a lot of needs, and I could see them very well just adding depth to some thin areas of the team.

Golden Tate, WR, Notre Dame (unrealistic)

Golden Tate is a 5'1"1, 195 pound wide receiver out of Notre Dame.

Tate is very versatile. While at Norte Dame he played out of the wildcat, and at times was the slot receiver.

Tate is a strong receiver and is not taken down easily, he is also very athletic and has good field vision after the catch.

Many experts think that Tate's draft stock is dependent on his 40 yard dash time.

If Tate runs a 4.4 then look for him to be taken in the first round. If not then he could fall to the Panthers in the second round.

Brian Price, DT, UCLA (realistic)

Brian Price is a 6'2", 300 pound defensive tackle out of the University of California, Los Angeles.

Price is a bit under-sized but he is very strong inside, and anticipates the snap very well.

He is also stays low and plays with good leverage and shows an explosive punch, he plays well out of double teams and has good endurance.

Price is considered more of a run stopper than a pass rusher and the Panthers are very thin at defensive tackle.

He is probably the more realistic option for the Panthers in the second round.

Eric Decker, WR, Minnesota

Eric Decker is 6'2", 215 pound wide receiver from the University of Minnesota.

Decker has above average size for his position, and has good blocking skills which is important if he is going to see playing with the Panthers.

He is tough and will hang onto ball after big hit, and with his size he is a big time red-zone threat.

Decker has good character and has good work ethic.

He would be a good option for the Panthers in the third round, if they were unable to get Golden Tate.

Brandon Ghee, DB, Wake Forest

Brandon Ghee is a 6'0", 191 pound corner back from Wake Forest University.

Ghee has good speed and has an idea body size for an NFL corner. He is a natural ball hawk, and is very competitive in nature.

Ghee has great ball skills and the ability to come up and make tackles on receivers, as well as stick his nose in the backfield and take on running backs.

He shows the ability to play man-to-man and nobody can take anything away from Ghee’s physical style of play.

Ghee would be a nice addition to the Panthers as a fourth round pick.

Perry Riley, OLB, LSU

Perry Riley is a 6'1", 240 pound outside linebacker from Louisiana State University.

Riley is a somewhat under-appreciated athlete with good strength. Although he lines up on the weak side, he projects to the strong side linebacker.

While at LSU he started in every game since he was named the starter, which is important with the recent injuries the Panthers have seen at outside linebacker.

Riley ranked second on team in tackles with 92 tackles including 4.5 for losses, he also recorded double-digit tackles in three games.

Riley would be a nice addition at outside linebacker and he has shown great durability, he'd be a good pick in the fifth round.

Tim Hiller, Quarterback, Western Michigan

Tim Hiller is a 6'5", 228 pound quarterback from Western Michigan University.

Hiller has a very high football IQ, along with good size and is a born leader. While at Western Michigan he was very productive and he is smart and knows when to throw ball away.

He anticipates the blitz very well he also makes good decisions, and has good character. He has nice timing on his throws, and he played in pro-style offense.

Hiller projects as a career backup because he simply lacks the arm strength, which isn't such a bad thing since all the panthers need is a back-up QB. He would be a very nice pick up in the sixth round

Dennis Landolt, OT, PSU

Dennis Landolt is a 6'4", 306 pound offensive tackle from Pennsylvania State University.

Landolt is a talented, durable, hard worker who continues to make steady progress.

He was on the field for 893 plays last season, the most among all Penn State starters.

He is strong, physical and tough, he has gone about his responsibilities in a productive, no-nonsense, but intense fashion throughout his career.

Landolt played a big role in Penn State ranking in the top 20 nationally in rushing, total, and scoring offense in 2008.

The Nittany Lions led the Big Ten in total and scoring offense, and were second in rushing and third in passing offense.

He would be a valuable seventh round pick, with his ability to run block.