2016 BRB NFL Mock Draft: With The 30th Pick, The Carolina Panthers Select...

With the thirtieth (30th) pick of the 2016 BRB NFL Mock Draft, Vance87, on behalf of the Carolina Panthers, says...

For all intensive purposes, the Carolina Panthers should have a very open mind when it comes to pick #30. The team doesn't have a glaring need at any position, and GM Dave Gettleman has openly said, "I could care less about a certain position - we are all about the best player available". This strategy certainly has served them well over the past few years. But let's be honest - almost everything is centered around the quarterback position, and Cam Newton is not what comes to mind when you think "pocket passer". Sure, he can make every throw, but his ability to scramble and not get injured is something I bet Carolina fans take for granted. This selection, while maybe a bit controversial, could be a blessing in the skies for the Panthers down the road...and that is why with the 30th pick of the NFL draft, the Carolina Panthers select Jared Goff, QB, C-

Wait...I'm getting...he's been taken? When?? Fine, whatever. It doesn't change my reasoning. The Carolina Panthers select Paxton Lynch, QB, Mem-

WHAT THE HELL? Who grabbed him?! Oh my kitten...ELWAY? OH KITTEN, WHAT A GENIUS. THAT MAN IS A LIVING GOD. I CANNOT believe he swiped Lynch right out from under the team he just beat in the Super Bowl. I'm sweating bullets. Okay...kitten it, we'll do it live.

Somebody once said "You cannot have too many pass rushers." I have no idea who said that, he's probably dead now...but I'm guessing he said it enough so now that people think it's true. And maybe it is; who am I to argue?  With that sound reasoning in mind, with the 30th pick of the 2016 BRB Mock Draft, the Carolina Panthers and Mr. BPA GM select Shaq Lawson (DE--Clemson).

If this were the real draft, Shaq would have slipped a bit to get to #30. He's consistently ranked in the mid-teens as far as big boards go, and most mock drafts don't have him going to the Panthers only because nobody expects him to still be there that late in the first. Rob Rang of CBS Sports states:

"Quick off the ball, powerful and tenacious, Lawson was a threat on every snap in 2015, leading the country with 25.5 tackles for loss, including two (both sacks) against Alabama in the national championship game loss. Better yet, with only one starting season under his belt, Lawson may only be scratching the surface of his potential."

This seems like a great pick for a team that doesn't need an All-Star to fill in right away to make a difference. This is a player who can develop his skills and perhaps turn into a monster DE on an already stacked defense. I thought about going OT here, but with all of the higher-ranked OTs already taken and Gettleman's instance on going best player, Shaq would be ripe for the picking. Oh, and Clemson fans won't have to travel far to see him play in the NFL.

We already have Summer of Watt's pick, so we'll wrap this puppy up this afternoon.  Here are the mocky results so far:

1. Tennessee Titans--Laremy Tunsil (OT--Ole Miss)
2. Cleveland Browns--Joey Bosa (DE--Ohio State)
3. San Diego Chargers--Jalen Ramsey (CB/S--FSU)
4. Los Angeles Rams (via trade with the Dallas Cowboys)--Carson Wentz (QB--NDSU)
5. Jacksonville Jaguars--Myles Jack (LB--UCLA)
6. Baltimore Ravens--DeForest Buckner (DL--Oregon)
7. San Francisco 49ers--Jared Goff (QB--California)
8. Philadelphia Eagles--Vernon Hargreaves III (CB--Florida)
9. Tampa Bay Buccaneers--Ronnie Stanley (OT--Notre Dame)
10. New York Giants--Ezekiel Elliott (RB--Ohio State)
11. Chicago Bears--A'Shawn Robinson (DE/DT--Alabama)
12. New Orleans Saints--Sheldon Rankins (DT--Louisville)
13. Miami Dolphins--Eli Apple (CB--Ohio State)
14. Oakland Raiders--Jack Conlin (OT--Michigan State)
15. Dallas Cowboys (via trade with the Los Angeles Rams)--Noah Spence (DE/OLB--Eastern Kentucky)
16. Detroit Lions--Laquon Treadwell (WR--Ole Miss)
17. Atlanta Falcons--Darron Lee (LB--Ohio State)
18. Indianapolis Colts--Cody Whitehair (OG--Kansas State)
19. Buffalo Bills--Emmanuel Ogbah (DE--Oklahoma State)
20. New York Jets--Leonard Floyd (OLB--Georgia)
21. Washington Redskins--Corey Coleman (WR--Baylor)
22. Houston Texans--Vernon Butler (DT/DE--Louisiana Tech)
23. Minnesota Vikings--Josh Doctson (WR--TCU)
24. Denver Broncos (via trade with the Cincinnati Bengals)--Paxton Lynch (QB--Memphis)
25. Pittsburgh Steelers--Andrew Billings (DT--Baylor)
26. Seattle Seahawks--Taylor Decker (OT--Ohio State)
27. Green Bay Packers--Reggie Ragland (ILB--Alabama)
28. Kansas City Chiefs--William Jackson III (CB--University of Houston)
29. Arizona Cardinals--Jaylon Smith (LB--Notre Dame)
30. Carolina Panthers--Shaq Lawson (DE--Clemson)
31. Cincinnati Bengals (via trade with the Denver Broncos)--Summer of Watt