Panthers insider sticks to his Jalon Walker-shaped guns with latest NFL mock draft

If most draft analysts had to make one final prediction on who the Carolina Panthers are taking, barring a trade back, most of them would agree. It's probably going to be Jalon Walker's name called around 9:00 pm ET on Thursday night. That's for a variety of good reasons.

There's clear interest, as they've met with, scouted, and talked so highly of Walker as an organization. GM Dan Morgan even went ahead and said what position he'd play, which is bold to say before picking someone. There's also the fit, as the Panthers need both edge rushing and interior linebacker help, two things Walker brings.

Therefore, with less than 36 hours before the draft arrives, Panthers insider Joe Person is sticking to his guns and predicting a Jalon Walker pick. He said he felt as if he'd written 4,000 words on Walker recently and predicted that he'd be writing a lot more soon.

"While Panthers general manager Dan Morgan has strongly suggested his preference would be to trade back, he may not have any takers," Person added. "I unsuccessfully tried to get Pittsburgh to trade with Carolina to get in front of New Orleans in this exercise."

Since that's the case and Carolina is, at least in this mock, stuck at eight, they'll grab Walker. "It’s not like the Panthers would be settling with Walker, a natural playmaker and culture-builder — two things Carolina needs more of. What’s less clear is whether Walker can be an edge-rushing force in the NFL, but that’s a projection Morgan seems willing to bet on," Person said.

The Panthers love Walker. He fits with the team and would be an instant starter. He's versatile and he happens to have grown up in the Carolinas. The connections are seemingly endless, and if someone else's name is called Thursday night, it would be a bit of a curveball with all due respect to Tetairoa McMillan.