This week, Carolina Panthers general manager Dave Gettleman, members of the Panthers staff and an army of scouts will be appraising the new legion of hopeful NFL rookies at the 2017 Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala.
They won’t be the only ones. Coaches and staff from all 32 NFL teams, draft analysts, reporters (including yours truly, of the Charlotte Observer) and agents will also be around all week to check out the talent. Official weigh-ins are on Tuesday night. Each team (split into North and South) holds a practice a day from Tuesday to Thursday.
[SENIOR BOWL: 2017 rosters announced]
As Gettleman said in his season-end press conference last month, whoever the Panthers draft in April will depend on what the team does in free agency.