Most 2020 mock drafts have the Panthers picking Auburn defensive tackle Derrick Brown at No. 7 in this year’s NFL draft. However, there is a chance they could trade out of their first-round pick and acquire more draft capital, which makes sense given their needs. Teams like the Raiders, Browns, Colts, and Buccaneers could all be in the market to trade up for either a quarterback or top OL prospect.

If Carolina agrees to a deal, the team would more than likely be picking around the middle of the first round. South Carolina’s Javon Kinlaw is a lineman that the Panthers could have on their radar in that part of the draft and he would help the defense immediately.

Scouting Report:

Kinlaw (6-foot-5, 315 pounds) is one of the top defensive line prospects in the country. He is technically sound with his block shed moves, strong, and freakishly explosive. There have even been rumors that some NFL teams have Kinlaw ranked even higher than Derrick Brown on their draft boards. Unlike Brown, Kinlaw plays with excellent leverage and uses his lower body strength to explode off the snap and drive his opponent backwards rather than rely just on his upper body strength.

Kinlaw’s processing could use some work, though. If you watch his tape closely, he will occasionally cause disruption immediately but totally miss the direction the play is developing towards. However, this flaw is pretty minor as Kinlaw does not do it often.

Overall, he is a prospect who can make an impact Week 1 based purely on his power. Combine that with his technically sound hand usage and pass rush counters and his potential soars exponentially. Kinlaw can play the 2 or 3 technique along the defensive front, so he is scheme-versatile as well.

College stats: 42 solo tackles, 10 sacks, 17 tackles for loss, eight pass breakups, three forced fumbles.

Highlights:

Kinlaw vs. Alabama

Kinlaw vs. Missouri

Kinlaw vs. Georgia

Fit with the Panthers:

Trading down for Kinlaw would offer multiple benefits for GM Marty Hurney. For starters, he’d be an instant force and difference-maker for the defensive line next to Kawaan Short. Drafting him also allows the team to let older, more expensive interior linemen like Gerald McCoy walk in free agency, potentially contributing to a compensatory pick next year. Adding more capital, saving cap room, getting younger, more comp picks and a Week 1 starter all with one move seems like a slam dunk scenario.