Matt Miller of Bleacher Report has filled out his first post-Super Bowl mock draft of 2018, and he has an interesting selection for the Carolina Panthers at No. 24 overall.
24. Carolina Panthers - Sam Hubbard, DE, Ohio State
The Carolina Panthers are currently without a general manager, making it impossible to look at trends to decipher where the team will go in Round 1 or talk to scouts about their preferences. That makes this a best-player-on-my-board pick until more information is available.
Ohio State defensive end Sam Hubbard is a value at pick No. 24, but he also fits what the Panthers do in the base 4-3 defense. Hubbard also fills a need given the age of the Panthers’ defensive ends. Julius Peppers might be able to play forever, but the front office should prepare just in case he can’t. Hubbard can be the plan at right defensive end for the future.
Previously, I’ve mocked wide receivers here to fill the deep-threat role, but there has to be a hope Curtis Samuel will turn the corner in his second year. That said, a new regime could select Christian Kirk (Texas A&M) or D.J. Moore (Maryland) here to give Cam Newton another weapon.
WalterFootball ranks Hubbard as the No. 4 defensive end in this year’s draft class.
Sam Hubbard, DE, Ohio State
Height: 6’5” | Weight: 266 lbs
Projected 40 Time: 4.78
Projected Round (2018): 1-22/3/18: In 2017, Hubbard collected 43 tackles with 13.5 tackles for a loss and seven sacks. He had good moments, but still didn’t always play up to his great skill set and wasn’t consistent enough.
9/1/17: In 2016, Hubbard collected 46 tackles with eight for a loss, 3.5 sacks and two passes batted. While rotating into the game as a sophomore, he showed his potential with 6.5 sacks. Hubbard also had 28 tackles with an interception. The senior could explode in 2017 as he has an early round skill set. Hubbard has a lot of physical talent, but he hasn’t produced up to it. He could rise high if that changes as a senior.
My take
I don’t hate this pick, but I’m not sure if I love it either.
On one hand, the Panthers need depth at defensive end with Charles Johnson on the final year of his contract and Julius Peppers possibly considering retirement. If the Panthers decide to part ways with Johnson in the offseason to save cap space and Peppers decides to call it a career, they will have a defensive end rotation of Mario Addison, Wes Horton, Bryan Cox, Daeshon Hall and Zach Moore. Simply put - that’s not enough.
However, while adding a guy like Hubbard with the No. 24 pick solves the issue of insufficient depth at defensive end, it also prevents the Panthers from getting Newton a deep threat at wide receiver or bolstering the secondary with a quality safety. So, while I would like to see the Panthers add another pass rusher I’d have to see how the board shakes out before having a strong opinion one way or the other.
What about you, Panthers fans? Would you be okay with drafting Sam Hubbard? Share your thoughts with us!
Poll
Should the Panthers draft Sam Hubbard with the No. 24 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft?
This poll is closed
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18%
Yes - they need pass rushers
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31%
No - they have bigger needs
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50%
Maybe - depends on how the board looks