CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- There are several reasons the Carolina Panthers believe defensive end Julius Peppers is capable of being productive for at least one more season at the age of 37.
That he’s still willing to put in the work during offseason workouts as he was when Carolina began Phase 1 on Monday is one of them.
But what about life after Peppers, who was signed to a one-year deal in free agency so he could finish his career with the team he began it?
And 30-year-old Charles Johnson, who re-signed for two years?
The Panthers still need a long-term solution for at least one of their defensive end spots. The draft might be the spot to fill it with a deep class.
So let’s take a look at candidates general manager Dave Gettleman could consider with his four picks -- No. 8 (1st), No. 40 (2nd), No. 64 (2nd) and No. 98 (3rd) -- in the first three rounds:
First round -- OK, so it makes more sense for Carolina to use this pick on an offensive player to make life easier for quarterback Cam Newton. Running backs Leonard Fournette (LSU) and Christian McCaffrey (Stanford), and tight end O.J. Howard (Alabama) make the most sense. But let’s say Gettleman wants to go with an end. Assuming he doesn’t trade up to get Myles Garrett or Solomon Thomas, projected to be the first two players selected, what might be available at No. 8? Tennessee’s Derek Barnett, Michigan’s Taco Charlton and Missouri’s Charles Harris are the most likely candidates. Of those, Barnett or Charlton appears to have the most upside in Carolina’s 4-3 scheme. Harris, a bit undersized at 6-3, 253, might be a better fit as an outside linebacker in a 3-4 scheme. Barnett has the best resume with 23 sacks and 31.5 tackles for loss over the past two seasons. Charlton didn’t emerge until this past season when he had 9.5 sacks and 13 tackles for a loss. Barnett would be my pick here.
Second round -- Regardless of what the Panthers do in the first round, expect them to use one of their two second-round picks on an offensive player. If they wait until this round to take an end the top candidates with the other pick might be DeMarcus Walker (Florida State), Carl Lawson (Auburn) and Jordan Willis (Kansas). Harris also could fall to the second round, so don’t rule him out. Walker (6-4, 280) might be the best fit size-wise. His sack numbers are as impressive as they come. He had 19.5 this past season and 33.5 over the past two years.
Third round -- There’s still solid end talent this deep. With the veteran experience of Peppers, Johnson, Mario Addison and Wes Horton the Panthers can take their time developing a player selected here. Among those who might make a good developmental choice are Tanoh Kpassagnon (Villanova), Daeshon Hall (Texas A&M), Deatrich Wise Jr. (Arkansas) and Dawuane Smoot (Illinois). Kpassagnon has been rising up draft boards and he has the size (6-6, 280) to be a force against the run and pass even if he hasn’t faced big-time competition. He’s raw, but again the Panthers don’t need him to be a force right away. Hall’s arrow is pointing up as well, but he’s still learning to play with a hand on the ground after spending most of his career as an outside linebacker.
