James Bradberry has been the Panthers’ No. 1 cornerback the last few years. He won’t be returning in 2020 though, as he has agreed to a three-year deal with Dave Gettleman’s Giants. That means at the moment Donte Jackson is the best cornerback on the roster and he was benched late in the 2019 season. Hardly an ideal situation for new defensive coordinator Phil Snow.
And so once again Carolina has a massive hole to fill at one of the most important positions in today’s game. The good news is the 2020 NFL draft (one month away) class is deep at this position, so the team should be able to find a quality long-term starter without using their first pick.
In a new three-round mock by Luke Easterling at Draft Wire, the Panthers selected Auburn’s Noah Igbinoghene with their second-round pick, No. 38 overall.
Igbinoghene (5-foot-11, 200 pounds) should qualify as a decent replacement for Bradberry. Over the last two seasons, he posted one interception, 18 pass breakups, 2.5 tackles for a loss and one forced fumble.
Here’s a look at Igbinoghene’s tape against Florida and Minnesota.
Igbinoghene vs. Florida
Igbinoghene vs. Minnesota
The concern with Igbinoghene is his lack of refinement and experience. It may take a while for him to adjust to the pro game, but that’s not unusual for a lot of talented cornerbacks. He’s drawn comparisons to Kareem Jackson of the Texans.
Pharoh Cooper probably has the role locked down, but for what it’s worth Igbinoghene is also a capable kickoff returner. He totaled 1,199 yards and two touchdowns on 44 attempts in college.
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