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Dre' Kirkpatrick

6'2" 192 lbs, 4.49 40-yard dash

College: Alabama

Draft Projections: Top-15 Pick

Many mock drafts have the Panthers going for defensive tackle help in the first, taking either LSU product Michael Brockers or Devon Still out of Penn State. However, I don't think they should go this route.

Give Ron Rivera a chance to develop last year's third round picks Sione Fua and Terrell McClain a little more, and give Ron Edwards a chance to see how much he can improve the interior defensive line. To me, there is a much larger hole opposite Chris Gamble in the Panthers secondary.

Dre' Kirkpatrick would greatly improve a defense that was 24th in passing yards allowed per game, and 25th in passing touchdowns allowed. He's a strong man-to-man corner with enough size and speed to make up for the occasional gambles he takes. But when you consider the teams Carolina is matched up with in the NFC South, the Panthers need a strong secondary to compete with Matt Ryan, Drew Brees and their plethora of talented receivers.

He needs to improve at the line of scrimmage, often being caught off guard when trying to jam too hard, and he does need to play smarter in the NFL then he did in college. But those things all come with experience, and Kirkpatrick certainly has the physical tools to become an excellent corner int he NFL.

He'd take over the starting job from Captain Munnerlyn, who isn't really anything more than a nickel-package player at best and will likely be gone after the 2012 season. Kirkpatrick isn't going to ever be a shutdown corner like Revis or Joseph, but he's physical and has exception size and athleticism to be a force in the Panthers' secondary.

There is the question of the marijuana charge brought against him back in January. While the charges were ultimately dropped, Jerry Richardson usually thinks twice before taking a guy with a history of off-the-field issues. However, Kirkpatrick is an excellent "need" player for the Panthers and should be given a look.