Do you know exactly what the Carolina Panthers need?
Yes, another Gamecock.
With the 2025 NFL draft a little over a few weeks away, Pro Football Focus analyst Mason Cameron recently named the best Day 2 fits for each team. When it comes to the Panthers, he settles on University of South Carolina edge defender Kyle Kennard.
Cameron writes:
Carolina ranked dead last in PFF pass-rush grade (51.6) in 2024, highlighting the team’s clear need for a dynamic pass rusher. Kennard, a long player with a good understanding of how to win in a variety of situations, would slot well into the Panthers’ 3-4 scheme at outside linebacker, where he can deploy his full bag of pass-rush moves.
Kennard is fresh off an SEC-leading 11.5-sack campaign in what was his first and only year in the powerhouse conference. His efforts earned him a consensus All-American selection, a first-team All-SEC nod, the SEC Defensive Player of the Year Award and the Bronko Nagurski Trophy.
Carolina has had eyes on the 6-foot-4, 254-pound Atlanta native, most recently at their local day from Bank of America Stadium on Tuesday.
If the Panthers were to spend their second- or third-round pick on Kennard, he’d become the sixth South Carolina Gamecock on the roster—joining running back Rico Dowdle, wide receiver Xavier Legette, outside linebackers Jadeveon Clowney and D.J. Wonnum and cornerback Jaycee Horn.
Follow @ThePanthersWire on Twitter/X for more Panthers content.
This article originally appeared on Panthers Wire: 2025 NFL draft: EDGE Kyle Kennard named best Day 2 fit for Panthers
Do you know exactly what the Carolina Panthers need?
Yes, another Gamecock.
With the 2025 NFL draft a little over a few weeks away, Pro Football Focus analyst Mason Cameron recently named the best Day 2 fits for each team. When it comes to the Panthers, he settles on University of South Carolina edge defender Kyle Kennard.
Cameron writes:
Carolina ranked dead last in PFF pass-rush grade (51.6) in 2024, highlighting the team’s clear need for a dynamic pass rusher. Kennard, a long player with a good understanding of how to win in a variety of situations, would slot well into the Panthers’ 3-4 scheme at outside linebacker, where he can deploy his full bag of pass-rush moves.
Kennard is fresh off an SEC-leading 11.5-sack campaign in what was his first and only year in the powerhouse conference. His efforts earned him a consensus All-American selection, a first-team All-SEC nod, the SEC Defensive Player of the Year Award and the Bronko Nagurski Trophy.
Carolina has had eyes on the 6-foot-4, 254-pound Atlanta native, most recently at their local day from Bank of America Stadium on Tuesday.
If the Panthers were to spend their second- or third-round pick on Kennard, he’d become the sixth South Carolina Gamecock on the roster—joining running back Rico Dowdle, wide receiver Xavier Legette, outside linebackers Jadeveon Clowney and D.J. Wonnum and cornerback Jaycee Horn.
Follow @ThePanthersWire on Twitter/X for more Panthers content.
This article originally appeared on Panthers Wire: 2025 NFL draft: EDGE Kyle Kennard named best Day 2 fit for Panthers
