2018 NFL Mock Draft: Complete first round post NFL Combine
Pick Analysis. Safety. Florida State. 24. player. 87. Scouting Report. Derwin James
Needs: OL, WR, DB
The Carolina Panthers have holes on their roster and need to fill them in order to get back to the Super Bowl. The Panthers are going with Christian McCaffrey as their feature back and need to add wide receivers for Cam Newton to be able to succeed. The offensive line could also use some padding as Newton was sacked 35 times in 2017. Carolina also failed to have a 1,000 yard rusher.
With all that said, the Panthers will start on the defensive side of the football in the 2018 NFL Draft by selecting Derwin James. James, the safety out of Florida State, missed most of 2016 with an injury but bounced back well in 2017. He also tested well at the combine measuring in at 6-foot-3 and 215 pounds while running a 4.47 in the 40.
James added elite vertical jump and broad jump numbers measuring 40 inches and 13 inches, respectively. The only reason James has fallen to 24 in my mock is because many teams will be drafting based on need and around ten franchises need a quarterback in the 2018 draft. I can’t see Ron Rivera passing up a safety that posted elite numbers at the combine.