Carolina Panthers 7-round mock draft after trading for Sam Darnold

With the departure of James Bradberry last offseason, the Panthers secondary is definitely lacking and needs to be replenished in a pretty big way. Asante Samuel Jr. might be a late-second-round pick to some but I maintain that the Florida State product is good enough to justify taking with a top-40 pick.

Samuel Jr. obviously has NFL bloodlines but, even though he’s just 5-10, he has plenty of pro-level traits in his own right. His speed and quickness along with a high IQ allow him to excel in man coverage both on the outside and even in the slot. Rhule has valued versatility to this point and Samuel is a perfect pick to help with that in the defensive back room.

No one is going to fill the shoes of Luke Kuechly and we’ve seen the Panthers defense get creative with the likes of Jeremy Chinn and Shaq Thompson to shore up the middle of the field. But they could still add another linebacker to the fold who would allow them more versatility and stability in the middle of the defense.

Chazz Surratt is not a finished product as he only played linebacker for two years with the Tar Heels after converting from quarterback. His offensive background is obvious when you watch him, though, as he maintains a high football IQ against the run and in coverage. Surratt is also ultra-athletic and, as he continues to learn the position, his ceiling is extremely high.

I’m going back to the secondary because it’s a legitimate problem for the Panthers defense right now. They simply don’t have the players in place to be a consistent group in coverage, so using two selections in the first four rounds would make sense to me. And they target Israel Mukuamu in the fourth round here.

With a big frame at 6-3, 205 pounds, the South Carolina product falls to this point in the draft because his athleticism is limited due to his build. Still, his range and instincts are quite good and Mukuamu could add some terrific size and versatility to the Carolina secondary.