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My Way Too Early Mid Season Mock Draft

With all the negativity around here, I figured it was time to throw a little positivity our way and see what could possibly be done to improve this team at the end of the season.


Round 1: Tyler Linderbaum (C) - Top 3 offensive lineman of the draft at a HUGE position of need. Enough said... Day 1 starter who will indirectly help improve the play of our offensive guards on both sides.

Round 4: Braxton Jones (LT) - Prototypical LT standing at 6'5" 315lbs who offers great length and agility in combination with his size on the edge. While he has good strength for his size, he could stand to up his play strength based on his frame and further improve on his mechanics/technique. These 2 critiques along with him being a FCS tackle for Southern Iwoa are what causes Jones to fall in the draft. He offers up to be the perfect developmental prospect at LT for Carolina with a ton of upside. Going into 2022 all Carolina has at LT is Brady C and Erving. Brady is a raw rookie who seems to be better suited at LG and Erving is a steeming pile of garbage with 1 year left under contract. Jones with the right luck and development could step right into starting at LT based on the talent at hand allowing Brady to move into LG or sit behind him for a year and step in to start in 2023. The FCS has seen a good amount of lineman succesfully move to the NFL and be able to start even as recent as the 2021 draft.

Round 5: Jake Venables (ILB) - Listed at 6'2 243lbs, Venables offers great size for MLB. In combination with a strong play strength he is anything but a liability in run defense against bigger backs. While he lacks for elite or above average athleticsm/speed which may cause him to drop on draft day. He does possess enough functional athleticsm and good instincts to not be shoehorned into a strict 1st and 2nd down LB and isn't a complete liability in the passing game. As far as prospects go, he's definitely a better prospect that what Carter was when drafted who is also a FA in this coming season. At worst he offers some solid depth in the middle if they go after a higher profile MLB in FA.

Round 5: Dontario Drummond (WR) - Listed at 6' 215lbs, he's not a towering giant but he does offer good length and good strength at the point of attack. Something Carolina is lacking currently at WR with the exception of Marshall who's a rookie. Drummond won't wow you with his speed or acceleration, but he's a versatile WR able to play utside and inside with strong hands and great vision to make plays after the catch. He's one of the leading receivers this season in the SEC for YAC. Zylstra and Erickson are both FA's at the end of the year, Robby has looked like dog doodoo, DJ is going into his last season under contract and both rookies are yet unproven. Gotta keep a fresh stream of talent at this position.

Round 6: Austin Stogner (TE) - Listed at 6'6" 260lbs, he's a tall and long receiving TE. No elite athletic traits or speed and an average blocker at best. But has exceptional hands and route running with the ability to find the soft spots in coverage to do some damage. Would make a good compliment to Tremble with Thomas being a FA and Ricci and Sullivan not being much other than blockers.

Round 6: Justin Eboigbe (DE) - Listed at 6'5" 285lbs, he offers up a protypical 4-3 DE build that this team is really lacking outside of Gross-Matos. Has no elite level athleticsm, speed or pass rushing moves. But with his size, good play strength and high motor he would be a great asset in run defense and a good depth option. This defense has been punished by big strong blockers and big strong backs. Adding in some versatile size to better stack up in those situations could be a huge help.

Round 7: Reed Blankenship (S) - A positionless Safety with average size, speed and strength. But an excellent tackler with great game smarts and instincts. This could make him a good depth option that could turn into a dependable player in case of injury and be a standout special teamer. Exactly what you want with these kinds of picks.

To recap... Not much in high end athletes or prospects due to the lack of day 2 picks. But was still able to hit the offensive line hard and early. While shifting focus to addressing weaknesses of this team due to lack of specific kinds of personell. While trying to get vale in each round and taking the talent as it comes.

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