2017 NFL Mock Draft: Wild Card Edition
By Tyler Brooke
Leonard Fournette
RB, LSU
It’s crazy to think that the Carolina Panthers are going to have a top-10 pick after playing in the Super Bowl just last year. However, the good news is that the Panthers can use their draft position to quickly rebuild and make another run at the playoffs next season.
Although the Panthers could go with a cornerback in the first round, the chance to pair Cam Newton with LSU running back Leonard Fournette could be too tempting to pass up on.
Fournette has been a star since coming out of high school, and now he’s ready to take the next step. At 6-foot-1 and 235 pounds Fournette is a dominant running back that doesn’t shy away from contact to pick up extra yards. He has the vision and burst to break off huge plays, but also the aggressiveness to turn nothing into something.
Some scouts will be concerned about Fournette’s ankle injury, but as long as he’s healthy in time for the regular season that shouldn’t be too big of a worry. We’ll know more about Fournette’s ankle heading into offseason workouts.
Fournette is such a dominant and physically gifted runner that adding him to the Panthers could help that team turn things around sooner rather than later.