Panthers could make NFL history by drafting player who weighs nearly 500 pounds
The Carolina Panthers could make NFL history with this compelling potential draft pick.
The Carolina Panthers had the worst defense in NFL history this past year, and much of that can be attributed to their putrid run defense.
The Panthers were gashed for 179.8 rushing yards per game in 2024, which ranked at the bottom of the league by a wide margin. For reference, the next-worst run defense was that of the New Orleans Saints, who surrendered 141.1 yards on the ground per week.
As a result, Carolina is prioritizing addressing their defense this offseason, adding a couple of big defensive tackles in Bobby Brown and Tershawn Wharton and also signing safety Tre’von Moehrig, who is stout against the run himself.
However, the Panthers still need more pieces, and they will almost surely add some more players to help against opposing rushing attacks in the NFL Draft next month.
And you know what? There is one very unique player to monitor for Carolina: Florida Gators defensive tackle Desmond Watson.
What makes Watson so distinctive, you ask? Well, he weighs 464 pounds, which would make him—by far—the heaviest player in NFL history.
The 6-foot-5 behemoth logged 20 tackles for Florida this past year, and while he certainly won’t be a Day 1 or Day 2 pick, he could represent a potential candidate for the Panthers in the later rounds.
In spite of his staggering weight, Watson actually ran a 5.93-second 40-yard dash while also posting a 25-inch vertical leap at the Scouting Combine. Given the fact that he weighs as much as an average grizzly bear, that is pretty impressive.
Watson likely won’t be a starter on the NFL level, but he could represent a very interesting rotational piece as a run-stuffing specialist, something Carolina could clearly use.
The Panthers own three fifth-round draft picks and one seventh-rounder. Perhaps Carolina will take a gamble on Watson with its final selection next month.
At the very least, it would be very interesting.
