CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Carolina Panthers general manager Dave Gettleman laughed when asked if he planned to select a cornerback on the second or third day of the NFL draft.
“Yeah, I think so,’’ he said.
Gettleman laughed again when asked if he might draft two corners after losing Pro Bowler Josh Norman, who last week signed with the Washington Redskins. He then quickly turned the attention back to first-round pick Vernon Butler.
“Just for what it’s worth, I want to jump in on [the previous question about Butler being raw],’’ he said of the defensive tackle from Louisiana Tech. “Don’t make it sound like Vernon’s raw and we have to teach him how to get in a three-point stance.’’
It was as close as Gettleman would come to saying the best way to make a secondary look good is by disrupting the quarterback with pressure up front. In the 6-foot-3, 325-pound Butler, the Panthers have a disruptive force to put in the rotation with Pro Bowl tackle Kawann Short and Star Lotulelei.
That Butler had only five sacks in college wasn’t a factor.
“When you put the tape on, it’s not necessarily the sack as a number that people get excited about, but how does he impact the play,’’ Gettleman said. “There was a player that was drafted very early, defensive end Joey Bosa, that didn’t have the sack numbers in comparison, but how he affects the play. That’s what we thought was special.
“That’s what’s special about Joey Bosa and from the end position he affects the play constantly. Well, this is a guy that comes straight up the gut and affects the play. Quarterbacks threw off balance. Quarterbacks had to tuck the ball and run. He’s getting doubled and someone else is hitting the quarterback.’’
But cornerback remains Carolina’s biggest need heading into Day 2 of the draft. One potential starter, Bene’ Benwikere, is coming off a fractured leg and never has started an entire season.
Robert McClain, who started two playoff games and the Super Bowl last season, wasn’t on a roster for much of 2015. Free-agent acquisition Brandon Boykin is considered primarily a nickel back.
None of the top corners were available when Carolina selected at 30, and it’s doubtful Gettleman would have gone that direction even if one had been there.
He’s piecemealed the secondary together during his first three seasons, refusing to spend big money or high draft picks on those positions.
He’ll do the same this year.
Still, look for the Panthers to select a corner in the second (No. 62 overall) or third (No. 93) round -- unless Gettleman sees a better fit at defensive end, the offensive line or even at running back.
Let’s say Alabama running back Derrick Henry falls to No. 62. He might be a good long-term solution to replace Jonathan Stewart.
There still are plenty of good corners available, too. Among those that weren’t drafted are: Clemson’s Mackensie Alexander, Virginia Tech’s Kendall Fuller, Virginia’s Maurice Canady, Alabama’s Cyrus Jones, Southeast Louisiana’s Harlan Miller, Oklahoma’s Zack Sanchez and Baylor’s Xavien Howard.
Fuller, Miller and Sanchez were among those Carolina brought in for official visits.
That none of those were considered first-round projections also tells you where Gettleman is on the corner position. Give him a good defensive lineman any day, and he’ll make a cornerback look good.
Gettleman believes he got a good defensive lineman in Butler. “He’s going to be a quick study,’’ he said. “We’re not concerned at all. We’re excited as hell because this kid’s got really good upside.’’