NFL Mock Draft 7.0: Giants, Patriots trade up; Redskins land defensive help

It’s becoming abundantly clear that the Panthers are going to take the best edge rusher available with this selection. In this mock, Clelin Ferrell is the last of the top-tier guys left on the board, so the Panthers will happily scoop him up.

Ferrell had a terrific career at Clemson and was highly productive for the Tigers. Playing as a part of a loaded defensive line, Ferrell logged 27 sacks over the final three seasons of his career. He was a beast at the point of attack and can win in a variety of ways at the line of scrimmage.

Ferrell has good hands, solid strenght, very good technique, and athletic ability that is just good enough to get by. Some were discouraged that he didn’t show as much burst during his senior year as he did during his junior campaign, but the fact of the matter is that Ferrell doesn’t need elite athletic ability to get sacks. He can use his arsenal of pass rushing moves to get the job done.

It’s also notable that Ferrell can play in space and can drop into coverage. He should mostly be used as a pass rusher in a 3-4 defense (which Carolina seems to be shifting towards) but he can drop into coverage. So, that will give him a chance to be a versatile weapon.

Ferrell has a little bit of Ryan Kerrigan in him. When Kerrigan was drafted, he was a productive player with questions about his athletic ability, but he has turned into a consistent threat at the NFL level. That’s what the Panthers will hope they are getting in Ferrell.