The Carolina Panthers made a major addition to their list of needs for the 2016 NFL Draft on Wednesday, and if a player is drafted to fill that need, he'll have big shoes to fill.
Cornerback Josh Norman became an unrestricted free agent when the Panthers rescinded his franchise tag on Wednesday, and NFL Media analyst Daniel Jeremiah sees William Jackson III of Houston as a strong potential draft fit for the club at Norman's position.
"Now you're going to have to replace a part, and you're not going to get a player that's as good as Josh Norman. If I'm going to look at a corner there, I would say William Jackson is the best fit ... he's got that size, he's got great ball skills, ran a lot faster (at the NFL Scouting Combine) than I expected him to," Jeremiah said on NFL Network's Path to the Draft. "William Jackson's a good football player, but next year, he's not going to give (Carolina) what Josh Norman would've given them had he been there."
Jackson led the NCAA in passes defensed last year with 28 (23 breakups, five interceptions), but his draft stock really began to climb after he recorded a 4.37-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine in February. Jackson (6-foot, 189 pounds) has the length NFL clubs look for at the position and is expected to be one of the first cornerbacks chosen.
Carolina holds the No. 30 overall pick of the draft. NFL Media analyst Charley Casserly projects the team to take Clemson CB Mackensie Alexander with the selection in his latest mock draft.
"What about the team that goes out and gets Josh Norman and erases that need for them, and they go in another direction in the draft? This is like getting two first-round picks for whoever lands him ... and there are teams with some money to throw around," Jeremiah said.
As if trades of the draft's first two picks in the last week didn't shake up the draft enough, the Panthers have altered it a little more without even making a deal.
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