It’s no secret the 2019 Carolina Panthers defense struggled. The transition from a 4-3 base defense to a 3-4 base did not work out as planned, in part because defensive tackles Kawann Short and Dontari Poe were injured. Looking ahead, Gerald McCoy, Kyle Love and Vernon Butler are all set to become free agents. Poe is also a team option for 2020.

Due to those circumstances, the Panthes will likely need to reload at the position this offseason. So, our third 2020 potential free agent target profile is Steelers defensive tackle Javon Hargrave (6-foot-2, 305 pounds), a product of South Carolina State University.

Career stats

Hargrave is just 26 years old and has been a solid, productive and consistent defender for Pittsburgh since being picked No. 89 overall in the 2016 NFL draft. During his 63-game career, Hargrave has totaled 168 tackles, 14.5 sacks and 22 tackles for loss.

Pros

Hargrave is fresh off of his best year as a Steeler. He played a career-high 62.9% of the team’s defensive snaps and racked up 60 tackles. He was ranked the eighth-best interior defensive lineman by Pro Football Focus. He’s been a force at nose tackle for a Steelers defense that has ranked in the top 15 against the run since 2016. Hargraves’ strength, tenacity and a low center of gravity makes him a perfect fit for a team that struggled immensely against the run last year. He’s also a threat to get to the quarterback. He finished with a 14.2% pressure rate in 2019. That put him third behind Aaron Donald and Chris Jones among all interior linemen.

Cons

Hargrave only played 62.9% of Pittsburgh’s defensive snaps last year and that was a career-high. The question is if he can handle more playing time. If Hargrave wants top money, he will need to prove he can stay on the field more often. Also, this is a strong DT free agent market, so Carolina can probably find an alternative at a cheaper price. This is Hargrave’s first opportunity to get a lucrative contract and chances are he won’t be taking a discount.

Probability: Medium

If the Panthers bring back Poe it would not make much sense to add another nose tackle. However, if they decide to let Poe walk, Hargrave would fit in well next to Short in the interior DL rotation. The decision on whether or not to spend money on Hargrave ultimately boils down to the team-building philosophy of coach Matt Rhule and to-be-named defensive coordinator Phil Snow.

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