The 2016 NFL Draft is just over a month away and every NFL franchise is thoroughly working to scout each prospect in the lead-up to the draft, as each team doesn't want to miss a chance on the next great player.
The NFL Draft can be crucial to the success of a franchise, as many teams build a strong foundation through the draft, a prime example being the New England Patriots. While fans and much of the media tends to focus on the first round of the draft, multiple NFL stars come in later rounds, many who go on to Hall of Fame careers.
One player that is drawing interest that could be a steal in the middle rounds of the draft is Kentucky linebacker Josh Forrest. Both the Cincinnati Bengals and the Carolina Panthers are reportedly "showing a strong interest," in the Wildcats linebacker, and he could make a strong addition to either team.
The 6-foot-3, 249-pound linebacker recorded 93 total tackles, six tackles for a loss, 3.5 sacks and two interceptions his senior at Kentucky, and proved himself against the best talent in college football in the SEC. Teams are expected to move the young player to the weakside linebacker position and will try to use him as an edge rusher, as he can create havoc for opposing offenses when sent on blitzes.
Both the Panthers and the Bengals could use Forrest in their defense, and while he may not have the immediate impact other draft prospects would, he has the ability and build to develop into a legitimate starting outside linebacker with time in the league. The Panthers currently have veteran linebacker Thomas Davis listed as their weakside linebacker, but the star linebacker just turned 33 years old. The Panthers could groom Forrest behind a leader like Davis, and with the amount of talent on Carolina's defense, the Kentucky linebacker could eventually excel.
While the Panthers may be looking to groom a linebacker for the future, the Bengals know the importance of depth, especially at the linebacker position. The Bengals will be without their weakside linebacker Vontaze Burfict for the first three games of the 2016 season due to suspension, and despite a talented linebacker core with players like Rey Maualauga, Vincent Rey, and A.J. Hawk returning next season, adding a player like Forest will only bring more depth to the position.
Both the Bengals and Panthers likely won't over reach for the Kentucky linebacker in the 2016 NFL Draft, but if Forrest is still sitting on the board in the third round, don't be shocked if he ends up in either Carolina or Cincinnati.
