With pick No. 30 in the 2016 Buffalo Rumblings Community Mock Draft, the Carolina Panthers, and general manager MBJBills28, have selected William Jackson III, cornerback from Houston. Here's what he had to say about the pick:
Cornerback, pass rusher, wide receiver, and offensive tackle were all in consideration for this pick. My top finalists were Jackson, Corey Coleman, Will Fuller, Kevin Dodd, and Germain Ifedi. With the retirement of Jared Allen the Panthers could use another pass rusher to add to the rotation. Even with Kelvin Benjamin returning they could also use an explosive wide receiver to take the top off of a defense and rack up yards after catch. I didn't consider Treadwell because he would be redundant with Benjamin and Devin Funchess. Michael Oher and Mike Remmers exceeded expectations but we're exposed in the Super Bowl and could use some competition.
Ultimately I decided to go with Jackson because of the value he presented at the end of the first round, plus he fits a position of need. They can find a situational pass rusher to develop behind Charles Johnson and Kony Ealy in the mid rounds, and they could get away with Oher and Remmers for another year, but still need to add some competition in round 2 or 3. Also getting Benjamin back should prevent the Panthers from spending a luxury pick on another wideout.
Jackson has the complete package. At 6'0", with a 4.37 40 yard dash he has the size, speed, and ball skills to translate to the NFL level even though he played against weaker competition. Josh Norman has been franchise tagged and wants to be paid like the top corner in the game. Bene Benwikere was inconsistent in his first year as a starter alongside Norman. This pick can be used as an insurance policy if things get ugly with Norman, and if they can lock Norman up to a new contract then they can have a feared long term duo of shutdown corners.
The Denver Broncos are now on the clock. Remember, when it's your turn to submit a draft choice, email it to dan.r.lavoie+sbnation@gmail.com.
Draft Results
- Titans: Laremy Tunsil, OT, Mississippi
- Browns: Carson Wentz, QB, North Dakota State
- Chargers: Jalen Ramsey, DB, Florida State
- Cowboys: Myles Jack, LB, UCLA
- Jaguars: Joey Bosa, DE, Ohio State
- Ravens: DeForest Buckner, DL, Oregon
- 49ers: Jared Goff, QB, Cal
- Vikings: Shaq Lawson, DE, Clemson
- Buccaneers: Ronnie Stanley, OT, Notre Dame
- Giants: Ezekiel Elliott, RB, Ohio State
- Bears: Vernon Hargreaves III, CB, Florida
- Saints: Sheldon Rankins, DT, Louisville
- Dolphins: Mackensie Alexander, CB, Clemson
- Raiders: Vernon Butler, DT, LA Tech
- Rams: Jack Conklin, OT, Michigan State
- Lions: Taylor Decker, OT, Ohio State
- Falcons: Jarran Reed, DT, Alabama
- Colts: Cody Whitehair, OG, Kansas State
- Bills: Reggie Ragland, LB, Alabama
- Bengals: Josh Doctson, WR, TCU
- Eagles: Noah Spence, DE/OLB, Eastern Kentucky
- Texans: Braxton Miller, WR, Ohio State
- Redskins: Andrew Billings, DT, Baylor
- Jets: Leonard Floyd, OLB, Georgia
- Steelers: A'Shawn Robinson, DT, Alabama
- Seahawks: Jason Spriggs, OT, Indiana
- Packers: Darron Lee, LB, Ohio State
- Chiefs: Eli Apple, CB, Ohio State
- Cardinals: Paxton Lynch, QB, Memphis
- Panthers: William Jackson III, CB, Houston
Dan's top five remaining
- Kenny Clark
- Jaylon Smith
- Robert Nkemdiche
- Laquon Treadwell
- Jonathan Bullard
What do you think of this pick? Cast your vote in the poll below!