Would the Carolina Panthers really select this player in the first round of the NFL Draft?
The Carolina Panthers may have been one of the most pleasant surprises in football this past season, winning the NFC South and pushing the Los Angeles Rams to the limit in the Wild Card Round of the playoffs.
But that does not mean the Panthers don't still have holes they need to fill.
Carolina clearly has some weak points on the roster that must be addressed, and while the Panthers did fill some of those gaps in free agency, they must continue repairing needs in the NFL Draft.
Some, however, feel Carolina will go in a rather strange direction.
Jordan Plocher of Pro Football Focus recently posted a mock draft, and with the 19th overall pick, he has the Panthers selecting Clemson offensive tackle Blake Miller.
"Blake Miller is a four-year starter at right tackle for the Clemson Tigers and saw his PFF overall grade improve every season, culminating in a 78.5 overall figure and an 83.5 PFF pass-blocking grade in 2025," Plocher wrote. "Miller let up just two sacks, two quarterback hits and 10 hurries on his 529 pass-blocking snaps in 2025 and would give the Panthers immediate depth at a key position and a future starter after Taylor Moton’s time in Carolina is done."
Blake Miller. Credit: Jacob Musselman-Imagn Images.Miller was certainly an impressive player at Clemson, and his draft stock has unquestionably risen, but this seems like a rather odd selection for a player who was generally viewed as a mid-Day 2 pick just over a month ago.
Not only that, but the Panthers signed Rasheed Walker to a one-year deal in free agency, so with Walker on one side and Moton on the other, Carolina is just fine at the tackle position right now.
Yes, the Panthers do need to start thinking about Moton's replacement, but shouldn't Carolina be aiming to fill more pertinent needs in order to attempt a deeper playoff run next season?
Again, many would consider Miller a reach at No. 19, so the Panthers would be reaching at a position they don't have to address at the current point in time.
Carolina would be better off bringing in another edge rusher or some more help in the secondary in Round 1. Tight end Kenyon Sadiq could be a fit, as well.
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