After wrapping up a busy Day 2, Carolina Panthers president of football operations/general manager Dan Morgan said he wanted a cornerback on Day 3. Well, he got himself one.
With the 157th overall pick of the 2024 NFL draft, the Panthers selected Washington State cornerback Chau Smith-Wade.
The Denver, Colo. native, who initially committed to the University of Wyoming, attended Washington State University from 2020 to 2023. He played in 33 games for the Cougars over that four-year span—amassing 103 total tackles (6.0 for a loss), three interceptions, 21 passes defensed, three forced fumbles and a fumble recovery.
Smith-Wade measures in at 5-foot-10 and 184 pounds. He clocked a 4.54-second 40-yard dash and 1.55-second 10-yard split at the 2024 NFL scouting combine.
Carolina has been quite thin at the cornerback position for the past few seasons. The team’s current projected starters are 2021 eighth overall pick Jaycee Horn, who had his fifth-year option exercised on Friday, and free-agent signee Dane Jackson.
