Story by
Panthers roll the dice on local cornerback in 2027 NFL mock draft
- Story by
- Panthers roll the dice on local cornerback in 2027 NFL mock draft
It's never too early to start thinking about next year's NFL draft, even for the serious contenders around the league. The Carolina Panthers are not there yet, but they are getting closer every season.
On the subject of their first-round pick, you can always make a case for another weapon for quarterback Bryce Young, or perhaps somebody who could stabilize their perpetually-dysfunctional offensive line.
Advertisement
However, the team's biggest problem right now is at cornerback. Jaycee Horn and Mike Jackson are both currently on injured reserve , and aren't expected back anytime soon—leaving the defense to start rookie Will Lee III and special teams ace Akayleb Evans.
On this note, a new mock draft from Pro Football Focus has the Panthers rolling the dice on Clemson's Ashton Hampton at No. 19 overall. Gordon McGuinness writes:
The Panthers look great on offense, but their defense will likely need more attention in the 2027 offseason. Hampton has allowed an NFL passer rating of just 54.8 on throws into his coverage this season and could form a strong cornerback tandem with Jaycee Horn in Carolina.
Hampton (6-foot-2, 205 pounds) has the requisite size and length the Panthers like in their corners. He will need to work on his run defense, but he's also the only corner in the nation with 80+ grades in both zone and man coverage.
For now, the Panthers are still an extremely zone-heavy unit under defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero—but at some point, they'll have to transition to a more aggressive style if they're going to break through to the next level. That makes Hampton a great fit both for now and the foreseeable future.
In 32 career college games, Hampton has totaled four interceptions, 23 pass breakups and 87 combined tackles, including four for a loss.
Advertisement
Follow @ThePanthersWire on Twitter/X for more Panthers content.
This article originally appeared on Panthers Wire: Panthers roll the dice on local cornerback in 2027 NFL mock draft
