What they're saying about Chandler Zavala to Panthers
The lone NC State football player drafted over the weekend was offensive guard Chandler Zavala. The former Fairmont State transfer gambled that transferring would increase his NFL Draft stock, and the decision paid off.
Zavala was helped by an aggressive NC State athletics department that fought for his eligibility after the NCAA originally denied his waiver for an extra season of eligibility.
The end result was that Zavala was taken in the fourth round by the Carolina Panthers. The organization had never drafted a NC State football player since its first draft in 1995 until last year when the Panthers took former Pack All-American left tackle Ikem Ekwonu with the No. 6 overall pick.
Zavala played next to Ekwonu on the Wolfpack line in 2021.
“He and Ickey are really close,” Panthers general manager Scott Fitterer noted. “He’s a guy that really wanted to be here. He had a really good visit with us. We went back like two years ago watching tape, so he lines up right next to Ickey. They’re road grading people, and they’re good friends.
“He’s physical. He’s smart, and he’s tough. He’s everything that we want in an offensive lineman. Scouts liked him. [Offensive line] coach [James] Campen and [assistant offensive line] Coach [Robert] Kugler, they had strong conviction on him. He’s a guy that everybody wanted here, we just had to figure out the value.”
Chris Trapasso of CBSSports.com gave the pick of Zavala an A-.
“Zavala is an instant starter at guard. Athletic specimen. Wide-bodied too. At times feet a little heavy at times but in general he flows on the field. A little older but that gave him more experience. Smart selection after the Bryce Young pick.”
ESPN Carolina Panthers beat writer David Newton also noted that the pick made sense:
“A solid pickup with starting right guard Austin Corbett rehabbing from ACL surgery that could limit him when training camp opens. He is a polished run blocker, which fits the team’s plan to continue with the power running game it thrived on last season, while Young develops at quarterback. Zavala is sort of a late bloomer, whose development was interrupted by COVID-19 and a back injury that forced him to apply for a medical exemption for a sixth year. Reich expects Corbett to not be ready for camp and miss some time at the start of the season. At 6-3, 322, he has the size to develop into a starter. At worst, he adds much-needed depth for the Panthers.”
TheAthletic.com’s Joe Person had actually projected Chandler Zavala as a player to watch for the Carolina Panthers entering the final day of the draft”
“With starting guards Austin Corbett (ACL) and Brady Christensen (ankle) both recovering from major injuries, the Panthers could use another interior lineman. The last one they took from N.C. State worked out pretty well. Like Ikem Ekwonu, the 6-3, 316-pound Zavala is a big, physical mauler.”
