Carolina Panthers Takes Closer Look at Tight End Prospects O.J. Howard and David Njoku
Greg Olsen has played great for the Carolina Panthers since they acquired him in 2011. However, he's not getting any younger and the team will look for his eventual successor in this year's draft.
Candidate number one is the top tight end prospect in the draft, O.J. Howard. The Panthers are going to bring him in for a pre-draft visit this week to get a closer look at his play-making ability.
"Without a doubt, O.J. Howard is the premier tight end of the 2017 draft class. He is also the most complete tight end prospect to come out since Vernon Davis in 2006," Bryan Palmese of Panthers Wire said in his report.
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"Howard has great size, soft hands, long arms, and is a tremendously gifted student of the game. He is an elite game-changing tight end on the short list of players Carolina should draft with their eighth-overall selection," he continued.
The Panthers will likely use the eight overall pick on him if he's still available.
Meanwhile, it's probably safe to say that University of Miami tight end David Njoku is on the Panthers' draft radar as well.
The Panthers brought him in for a pre-draft visit on March 23, but he didn't get the chance to work out for them. But according to ProFootballTalk, Njoku was back in town on Tuesday and he finally got the chance to showcase his skills.
A lot of observers may say that Howard is the best tight end in this year's draft, but Njoku isn't that far behind him. His biggest flaw is probably his inexperience and he may need time to develop, but he's going to be a very dangerous offensive weapon due to his ability to create space.
Right now, it's highly unlikely for the Panthers to use the eight overall on Njoku. But he will be an interesting option for the team if he slips into the second round of the draft.
