Yetur Gross-Matos Drafted by Panthers: Carolina's Depth Chart After Round 2

Defensive end Yetur Gross-Matos is heading to the Carolina Panthers as the 38th overall selection in the 2020 NFL draft.  

Carolina picked up the Penn State alum on Friday and with good reason. He posted 40 total tackles last season—14.5 for loss—and finished with nine sacks. That was more than enough to convince him to forgo his senior season and turn pro.            

LDE: Yetur Gross-Matos*, Stephen Weatherly, Efe Obada

DT: Derrick Brown, Woodrow Hamilton, Zach Kerr

RDE: Kawann Short, Chris Smith

OLB: Brian Burns, Sione Teuhema

ILB: Shaq Thompson, Jermaine Carter Jr.

ILB: Tahir Whitehead, Andre Smith

OLB: Marquis Haynes, Christian Miller

CB: Donte Jackson, Cole Luke

CB: Corn Elder, Dominique Hatfield

FS: Tre Boston, Quin Blanding

SS: Juston Burris, TJ Green

Depth chart info provided by Ourlads and Over the Cap.

Bleacher Report's Matt Miller had Gross-Matos as his No. 22 overall prospect ahead of the draft and the No. 3 defensive end behind Chase Young of Ohio State and K'Lavon Chaisson of LSU. Now he'll look to make an immediate impact with the Panthers as they retool their defense. 

At 6'5" and 264 pounds, Gross-Matos has the size of an NFL lineman, and he should expect to see plenty of snaps right off the bat with Carolina looking toward the future.

NFL Analyst Lance Zierlein compared the 22-year-old to Aaron Schobel and noted he'll be a mainstay on the field sooner than later:

"He isn't overly twitchy but impressive length, fluidity and short-area athleticism allow him consistent work-arounds against opposing blockers. He's average at the point of attack by NFL standards, but that should change with additional strength work and more efficient hand usage. The rush toolbox is only halfway full, but it's just a matter of time before his spin move and a speed-to-power charge become part of a diversified attack. Gross-Matos should be an early starter, but when the power and skill catch up with the athleticism, look for him to become one of the more productive defenders in the league."

The former Nittany Lion becomes the 42nd Penn State player drafted in the second round.