NFL Mock Draft 2018: Complete 7-Round projections
Pick Analysis. Running back. LSU. 87. Scouting Report. Derrius Guice. 24. player
Drafting running backs in the first round in consecutive years doesn’t sound like a winning proposition, but it might just work for the Carolina Panthers. The team drafted Christian McCaffrey with their first selection in 2017, but had the benefit of pairing him with veteran Jonathan Stewart.
Stewart is now with the Giants, leaving McCaffrey to carry the load. Although he’s capable of running between the tackles, McCaffrey is more elusive than he is powerful. He led all other running backs in targets last year, excelling in his role as a complimentary back rather than a bell cow.
LSU running back Derrius Guice has bell cow written all over him. He has rushed for more than 250 yards three times with the Tigers and is built to bust heads. Injuries hampered his final season at LSU, making him a candidate to be the lead back in a committee like the one which existed in Carolina last season.
Drafting a power back like Guice would make McCaffrey better and the Panther offense scarier. A two-back set with Cam Newton in the middle would pose a plethora of matchup problems.