The Carolina Panthers will have plenty of room for growth on the offensive side of the ball. But two position, in particular, make more sense as draft needs than avenues for free agency spending.

The Athletic is getting an early jump on things, two weeks before the NFL combine and a month or so before the start of free agency. That can make for some tricky projections. So we followed a simple strategy in this first Carolina Panthers seven-round mock: When in doubt, draft defense.