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Za’Darius Smith fits Carolina Panthers as a mid-round prospect

By Brett Clancy

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With the 25th overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft the Carolina Panthers are widely expected to bolster their offensive line. Wide receiver is another area that could be addressed early, but the Panthers would be wise to remember their needs on the defensive side of the ball as well. With Greg Hardy gone the Panthers need to address the defensive line, and could find a perfect fit in the third round with Kentucky defensive lineman Za’Darius Smith.

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Za’Darius Smith was overshadowed at Kentucky, by likely first round prospect Alvin “Bud” Dupree who some analysts believe could be a top 10 pick. Smith isn’t the freak athlete that Dupree is, but he’s already got NFL size and strength to make an immediate impact and could be a steal if he’s on the board when the Panthers pick in the third round (89th overall.) Smith is a high motor player who can play on the edge or slide inside in the Panthers four man front.

Smith’s lack of top end speed hurts his projections as a pass rusher and likely won’t be confused for a sack artist, but he’s strong enough to push the pocket and at least dial up the pressure on opposing quarterbacks. Against the run, Smith should be solid from day one, an area where Kony Ealy struggled mightily last year, making him an ideal player to add to the rotation on early downs.

Smith is consistently praised in scouting reports for his effort, attitude and ability to set the edge with his strength. His passion becomes more impressive when you learn that his first love was basketball and the first time he played organized football was his junior year of high school. He took advantage of a scholarship from a junior college where he was so impressive terrorizing opposing quarterbacks he was recruited to Kentucky to wreak havoc on the SEC.

While there are issues with some of Smith’s mechanics he’s never been with the same coaching staff for more than two years, and has shown the ability to continue to excel despite steadily increasing levels of competition. There’s still no guarantees when it comes to a prospects future, but Smith’s path to the draft seems to have set him up nicely for continued success.

Za’Darius Smith ranks out as CBS Sports’s 10th-ranked defensive end and 97th ranked overall player, which sets up nicely for the Panthers to take him with that 89th overall pick. While the top guys: Fowler, Ray, Beasley, Gregory and Dupree will draw the headlines leading up to the draft it is the mid round prospects like Smith, who consistently win with effort that reveal the depth of this draft class, and could wind up being difference makers for teams on the edge of making a deep playoff run, like the Panthers.

Smith fits well with the pieces already in place in Carolina and his passion and positive attitude can only help a locker room that had a shadow cast over it by last season’s drama surrounding Greg Hardy. Cam Newton may be the face of the franchise, but this team will still rely heavily on it’s defense for continued success in 2015 as the offense continues to be built around the young QB. Smith is the next piece of the puzzle to keep the defense dominant and the Panthers on top in the NFC South.

Next: Carolina Panthers: Making the Case for Jake Fisher

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