6 2015 NFL Draft Picks Who Could Be Opening-Game Starters for Carolina Panthers

Some players taken in the 2015 NFL draft will need time to develop before seeing the field.  They’ll need time to understand the playbook, adjust to NFL game speeds and strengths and, generally, slowly work their way into the rotation before contributing on the field.

This article is not about those players.

The Carolina Panthers are in a bit of an unfortunate position in this year’s draft, selecting 25th overall, despite finishing the season with a losing record.  That means some of the top players who might have been available toward the top of the draft simply will not be available when they get on the clock.

That doesn’t mean, however, that the Panthers can’t find day-one starters in the draft—far from it.  In fact, I would almost guarantee that the first offensive tackle they take will start at right tackle come opening day; any other outcome would have to be considered a disappointment.

With that in mind, here’s a look at some players who might end up plugging-and-playing in the Panthers scheme in 2015.  I tried to find some variety in the names—that is, I didn’t just list six potential first-round tackles and call it a day. 

I looked through the first three rounds of the draft to find a variety of players at a variety of positions who could come in and be announced as a starter when the Panthers take on their first team on September 13.

Andrus Peat, OT, Stanford

First-Round Offensive Tackle

With Michael Oher and Nate Chandler tentatively penciled in as the starting tackles, it’s clear the Panthers need a massive upgrade at tackle and fast. 

It’s great to see Cam Newton using his legs and scrambling around the field, but it’s better for that to be part of a designed play rather than running for his life as the offensive line crumbles around him.  The complete lack of pass protection Carolina is able to field makes offensive tackle their clear and obvious top need.

There are a trio of offensive tackles who could fall into Carolina’s arms with the 25th overall pick, but the most game-ready of them all is Andrus Peat, the big and powerful lineman from Stanford.  Peat started the last two seasons at left tackle for the Cardinal.  He might project better as a right tackle in the NFL, however, at least until he develops a little more.

Peat’s already a very solid run-blocker, moving and adjusting in space and then using his strength and power to blow open holes.  His technique is solid, as well—he’s not only a mauler.  His pass protection is improving, though I worry about him against NFL-caliber speed-rushers right off the bat.  That’s why he’d make sense starting at right tackle, only replacing Oher at left tackle once he has some NFL experience under his belt.

When compared to the other late-first-round tackle possibilities, Peat’s experience stands out.  D.J. Humphries of Florida, for example, was only an every-game starter in 2014, while Pittsburgh’s T.J. Clemmings was playing defensive end two seasons ago.  In all honesty, any of the three would likely start from day one, but Peat’s the most polished of the group.

Other first-round tackles: D.J. Humphries, Florida; T.J. Clemmings, Pittsburgh

Jaelen Strong, WR, Arizona State

First-Round Wide Receiver

If the Panthers decide not to go for an offensive tackle in the first round, they’d likely be best served by giving Newton another weapon in the passing game.  Kelvin Benjamin, last year’s first-round pick, got off to a solid start in 2014.  He wasn’t the most exceptional rookie receiver by any means, but he showed enough promise to be penciled in as the top receiver in 2015.

However, after Benjamin, the depth chart is something of a mess.  None of Ted Ginn, Jarrett Boykin or Jerricho Cotchery jump out at you as an exceptional second receiving option.  It’d be a tremendous lack of experience to start Benjamin and a rookie as receivers from day one, but that might still be the most talent the Panthers could put out on the field.

Among all the receivers possibly available at the back of the first round, Arizona State’s Jaelen Strong is the most likely to produce immediately upon entering the NFL.  He only has two years of experience at a Division I school, but both of those seasons saw him go for over 1,100 yards, averaging 14.6 yards per reception.  That’s more on-field production than most of the receivers in this draft class can boast.

Strong has prototypical size for the position, standing at 6’2” and 217 pounds.  He’s not the fastest receiver in the world, but then, that’s why the Panthers signed Ginn.  Strong’s a possession receiver.  He’ll take contested balls and get into the open field with them.  The Panthers could use him immediately on bubble screens, hitches and crossing routes, getting the ball into his hands and letting him work.

Other first-round receivers: Breshad Perriman, UCF; Dorial Green-Beckham, Missouri

Jake Fisher, OT, Oregon

Second-Round Offensive Tackle

If the Panthers opt to pass on the offensive tackle position in the first round, they almost have to use their second-round pick on the position.  The need is that great.

Fortunately for them, there are a couple of second-round tackles who could come in and start from day one at right tackle, with Oregon’s Jake Fisher being the top option.

Fisher has experience playing both tackle and guard, which helps his odds of coming in and starting right away—that’s four positions on the line he could step up and take over, rather than just two.  He was forced to make an emergency move from right to left tackle this season, thanks to injuries in the spring, but he thrived at his new position, which bodes well for his ability to pick up changes very quickly.

Fisher is a light, athletic tackle, who would excel in a zone-blocking scheme like the Panthers use.  As a former high school tight end, he has better movement than you would expect out of a tackle, and he looks comfortable in space. 

The Oregon offense crumbled during Fisher’s absence in 2014, surrendering 12 sacks in two games with a re-shuffled line.  When Fisher came back into the lineup, the offense bounced back to its normal other-worldly abilities, which shows how vital Fisher’s skills were to that team.

Some project Fisher as a first-round pick.  I’m not sure I’d go that far, as he’s struggled with penalties and doesn’t have the power of some of the top players at his position.  I do think the Panthers may need to trade up into the upper half of the second round to grab him, but he’d be a day-one starter if they did.

Other second-round tackles: Cedric Ogbuehi, Texas A&M

Preston Smith, DE, Mississippi State

Second-Round Defensive End

The Panthers have three-quarters of an all-star defensive line already in place.  Charles Johnson, Kawann Short and Star Lotulelei make up a very solid threesome, and if Greg Hardy was still in town, that would rank among the best in the league.

Of course, Greg Hardy isn’t still in town, leaving a hole at the other defensive end position.  Last year’s second-round pick, Kony Ealy, struggled, and Wes Horton isn’t a long-term answer, either. 

While the second round may be too early for the Panthers to use a pick on a defensive end, considering needs at running back and safety, there are a variety of interesting edge-rushers who could potentially knock Ealy and Horton out of the starting lineup.

My favorite of the bunch might well be Mississippi State’s Preston Smith, a 6’5”, 270-pound beast who could play either outside or inside in a 4-3 front.  That versatility should make him a highly coveted players; any defensive front could use a player like Smith.

He has experience rushing the passer from both ends and taking on interior linemen as a defensive tackle.  He even managed to drop into space from time to time; he was asked to do literally everything at Missisippi State, and responded well.  He’s a disruptive player who would excel as part of a rotation with Ealy from day one.

Other second-round ends: Danielle Hunter, LSU; Nate Orchard, Utah; Owamagbe Odighizuwa, UCLA; Mario Edwards, Florida

A.J. Cann, OG, South Carolina

Second-Round Guard

Like defensive end, the second round might be too early to draft an interior lineman.  Trai Turner and Andrew Norwell picked up steam in the second half of the season, especially in the running game.  However, with the exception of Ryan Kalil, the Panthers could afford to improve every position on the offensive line.  A pick this early at that position would definitely be in play to start.

South Carolina’s A.J. Cann knows a thing or two about starting.  In a four-season career at South Carolina, Cann started 51 games—all but one he was eligible to play in, only sitting out one game in 2012.  That’s an incredible track record for a college player; so few of them end up as four-year starters, as they either sit behind prospects as freshmen or come out early as juniors.

He’s short for a guard, at only 6’3”, but he’s powerful and athletic enough to not let that bother him.  If anything, it helps him keep a low pad level, getting underneath opposing pass-rushers and blowing them back.  He’s not going to become the world’s greatest guard, but he has an incredibly high floor—he can come in right away and provide solid protection from day one.

He’s really more of a power-blocker than a zone-blocker, but he did show some movement on screens and things of that nature, meaning that it’s certainly possible for him to transition into Carolina’s scheme.  He’s disciplined and a hard worker, and there’s no doubt in my mind that he’d be mentally ready to handle the NFL from the very beginning.

Other second-round guards: Laken Tomlinson, Duke; Tre Jackson, Florida State

Anthony Harris, S, Virginia

Third-Round Safety

Once you get past the first two rounds, the odds of finding starter right off the bat drops dramatically.  Only four players drafted after the second round last season started all 16 games last season, and only 21 ended up starting even half their team’s games, including third-round pick Trai Turner.

If there’s one position that the Panthers could find a starter in this late, though, it’s at safety.  Roman Harper simply needs to be replaced, and free-agent signing Kurt Coleman isn’t going to do that.  Coleman’s more of a free safety, meaning he’ll compete with Tre Boston, not Harper.  With the draft short on high-impact safeties, the Panthers might have to wait until the end of day two to find a potential starter.

One such potential starter is Virginia’s Anthony Harris, a three-year starter as an interchangeable safety in college.  Harris is one of the top coverage safeties in this year’s draft, with 26 passes defensed and 10 interceptions to only two penalties over the last two seasons.  He managed an interception in five consecutive games, so you know he has ball skills.

He may be too thin to live in the box at the NFL level; he only weighs 183 pounds.  He has the instincts and awareness to overcome that somewhat, but that lack of bulk is what has him pegged as a third-round possibility.  Still, those skills should have him at least competing for a starting spot for most teams, including the Panthers.

Other third-round safeties: Derron Smith, Fresno State; Damarious Randall, Arizona State; Jaquiski Tartt, Samford

Bryan Knowles is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report, who will be serving as the Carolina Panthers Draft Correspondent.  Follow him @BryKno on Twitter.