Ohio State CB Jeff Okudah
All the quarterback talent in the world won’t help if the Panthers don’t fix their defense, though. If they don’t have literally the worst defensive unit on paper in the league, they are definitely thinner at the cornerback position than anyone else.
At the moment, Donte Jackson is currently the best one on the roster. He was benched late in 2019 in favor of Ross Cockrell, who is now a free agent. With James Bradberry having recently signed a three-year deal with the Giants, cornerback should be at the top of the team’s list of needs to address in this draft.
Like Burrow, Okudah is the unquestioned top prospect at his position in this year’s class. Considering how deep the 2020 cornerback crop is, that’s saying something. If Okudah’s college numbers are underwhelming (three interceptions) it’s because quarterbacks went out of their way to avoid throwing at him like Darrelle Revis in his prime.
Several other teams are also pretty desperate at corner, though. The likelihood of him still being on the board at No. 7 is very low. Trading up with the Lions to No. 3 for Okudah would plug a huge hole at a critical position.