2018 NFL Mock Draft: Projecting every first round selection

The Carolina Panthers front seven has a host of some of the most highly respected and highly impactful defenders in the NFL. That includes veterans like Julius Peppers and Kawann Short in front are supported by Thomas Davis and Luke Kuechly on the second level. Those stars are aging, and the depth behind them is slim. In order to keep that front producing on a high level the Panthers need to continue to invest in fresh talent.

Michigan’s Maurice Hurst is regarded as the best interior defender in the 2018 NFL Draft class. The 6-foot-2, 280 pound enforcer managed 13 tackles for a loss and 5.5 sacks in his senior season with the Wolverines. The thought of him paired alongside Short in the trenches for the Panthers is somewhat terrifying.

Short is one of the best tackles in the league, but his counterpart Star Lotulelei has struggled. The Panthers drafted Lotulelei in the first round of the 2013 draft. His contract expired following this season and there’s been no indication from the Panthers that they’d like to bring him back. That’s even more unlikely if they can get Hurst midway through the first round of the 2018 draft.