Player prowl: Panthers swipe Leonard Williams to team with Derrick Brown

The Carolina Panthers found themselves a solid partner for Derrick Brown in well-liked veteran DaQuan Jones. But we might be able to do a little better.

For this week’s prowl, we look to the New York Giants for an upgrade on the interior of the Panthers’ defensive line. And that upgrade comes in the form of Leonard Williams—perhaps one of the actual few bright spots for “Big Blue” of late.

To be fair to the rest of the roster, we did have to pass up on a few enticing names. Left tackle Andrew Thomas may very well be a stud for years to come and rookie wideout Kadarius Toney is a fire-starter with the ball in his hands.

Also, we wouldn’t have minded a reunion with cornerback James Bradberry either. The Panthers’ second-round pick from 2016 has grown into one of the game’s finest one-on-one defenders.

But, again, teaming up the young pillar in Brown with a proven force in Williams was too nasty of a prospect to ignore.

Williams, a former sixth overall pick of the New York Jets, has transitioned nicely in his move across the hall of MetLife Stadium. The 27-year-old posted a career season in his first full-go with the Giants in 2020, totaling a monstrous 11.5 sacks off the inside.

The 6-foot-5, 302-pounder has filled out that big frame and, seemingly, his big potential he carried away with him from the University of Southern California in 2015. He’s lengthy, athletic, versatile and is finding a home for all those traits in one impressive package here in his seventh pro campaign.

Did we get it right? Who would you escape from New York with?

Related

Behind Enemy Lines: Previewing Week 7 with Giants Wire

List

Biggest storylines for Panthers vs. Giants in Week 7