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NFL Mock Draft: Week 16

By Brad Weiss

Nov 26, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish quarterback DeShone Kizer (14) throws a pass against the Southern California Trojans during a NCAA football game at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 26, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish quarterback DeShone Kizer (14) throws a pass against the Southern California Trojans during a NCAA football game at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports /
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Nov 12, 2016; Fayetteville, AR, USA; LSU Tigers running back Leonard Fournette (7) runs for a large gain after a reception during the first quarter of the game against the Arkansas Razorbacks at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Rojo-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 12, 2016; Fayetteville, AR, USA; LSU Tigers running back Leonard Fournette (7) runs for a large gain after a reception during the first quarter of the game against the Arkansas Razorbacks at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Rojo-USA TODAY Sports /

RB. LSU. Leonard Fournette. 11. player. 87.

In a lost season, the Carolina Panthers saw some signs of life on Monday Night Football, as they ruined the Washington Redskins’ chances at a playoff berth. Cam Newton played very well in the passing game, and running back Jonathan Stewart ran the ball hard against a soft Washington defensive front. He still has the ability to make plays with the ball, but his time as a feature back has to be coming to an end.

Enter Leonard Fournette, who has decided that he will skip LSU’s bowl game to get ready for the NFL Draft. While that is certainly a debatable decision, the Panthers will be happy he did so if they can grab him in next April’s draft. Fournette is about as good a running back prospect as there has been in the past few years, and he would do a lot to take some of the pressure off of Newton next season.

This Panthers team is one year removed from playing in the Super Bowl, and despite their sorry record in 2016, they are actually loaded with talent. Newton is still one of the better signal-callers in the game, and Kelvin Benjamin appears healthy after returning from a torn ACL this past season. Adding Fournette to that group would give the Panthers some of the best young talent at those three positions in the NFC.

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