Panthers 2020 NFL mock draft: The post-combine, trading down edition

Panthers 2020 NFL mock draft: The post-combine, trading down edition.

The 2020 NFL Scouting Combine is over with and we now have a much more complete picture of what this draft class is all about. In our latest seven-round mock, the Panthers trade down twice in order to fill as many roster holes as possible. Here’s how it played out.

No. 7: Trade with Colts. Panthers acquire picks No. 13, 44 and 142.

No. 13: Javon Kinlaw, DT, South Carolina

Javon Kinlaw
(AP Photo/Butch Dill)

With so many holes to fill on their roster, the Panthers simply need to trade down to acquire more draft capital. It’s a hard pill to swallow with guys like Derrick Brown, Jeff Okudah, and Isaiah Simmons possibly on the board at seven, but it’s a move that will help the team get through this rebuild much quicker. By trading back to No. 13 with a team like the Colts (four picks in the top three rounds), they acquire another top-50 pick and fifth-rounder along the way. Here, Carolina gets a stud defensive tackle prospect that will pair nicely with Kawaan Short to help stop the run and generate pressure up the middle for years to come.