2018 NFL Mock Draft: Browns land Baker Mayfield

The Panthers used their first two selections in the 2017 Draft on skill-position players and you can expect more of the same entering this draft, landing talented SMU wideout Courtland Sutton with the 24th overall pick.

Ron Rivera enters 2018 with new coordinators and a new general manager, which is a pretty unique situation to be in for a head coach. After trading Kelvin Benjamin to Buffalo, Rivera could look to add more talent to the receiving corps to help franchise quarterback Cam Newton.

Though you may not be familiar with Courtland Sutton’s work at SMU, there’s no doubt that he’s one of the most talented receivers in the entire draft. At 6-foot-4 and 218 pounds, Sutton has dreamy size for the position and is not afraid to take punishing hits on throws over the middle of the field. He more than likely would have been a first-round selection in last year’s draft, which leads me to believe that he’ll certainly be in the conversation this year as well.

Sutton doesn’t have the deep speed or home run threat ability of a James Washington or Calvin Ridley, but he’s a durable target that should help to open things up for new number one target Devin Funchess. With Christian McCaffrey and Curtis Samuel also in the fold, the Panthers have all the skill position pieces to improve on a disappointing and inconsistent 2017 campaign.