It's no secret that the Carolina Panthers have to address the offensive line this offseason after allowing over 50 sacks in 2021. As poor as Cameron Erving was at left tackle, much of the leakage came from the interior which gave Sam Darnold very little time to make the right decision.
With the idea that the Panthers will take a tackle with the 6th overall pick, it sets up the possibility of Carolina signing 1-2 guards in free agency. Let's take a look at five names that should be on the Panthers' radar.
Brandon Scherff
If I'm the Panthers, Scherff is my No. 1 target. This would be a home run by the Panthers' front office if they are able to reel in one of the best, if not the best guard on the market. The only problem is, there are no true connections between Scherff and the Panthers. Now, connections don't always have to exist but for a guy that is 30-years-old, you would think he's going to want to go to a contender. Having a connection would certainly give Scherff more interest in joining a team that is still in a rebuild.
Laken Tomlinson
Tomlinson had a rough start to his career, but over the past two years, he has become one of the most reliable interior lineman in the NFC. The former Duke Blue Devil hasn't missed a single start in four seasons. Not only would he help solve the pass protection/run blocking issue but the availability issue as well. The Panthers had so many injuries on the offensive line last year, forcing them to throw together 12 different starting combinations.
James Daniels
Daniels has the potential to be one of the better guards in the league once he enters his prime. He's only 24 years old which is a year younger than Brady Christensen, yet already has four years of NFL experience. If Carolina wants to continue to build with young players, Daniels wouldn't be a bad investment.
Mark Glowinski
Glowinski is a mauler in the run game and has positional flexibility as well. He was a center during his college days at West Virginia, but has primarily played guard since entering the NFL in 2015. If Matt Rhule wants to establish a mean, physical offensive line, this would be a good start.
Lucas Patrick
Patrick, another former Duke Blue Devil may want to reunite with his former offensive line coach in Green Bay, James Campen. The two worked together in from 2017-18, the first two years of Patrick's career. He's going to be a much cheaper option for the Panthers and could be the cheapest player on this list. He's not a Pro Bowl caliber guard, but would certainly be an upgrade over John Miller.
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