Mays, the Panthers’ sixth-round pick in 2022 out of Tennessee, will turn 27 years old in April. He appeared in 52 games and started 27 in his first four seasons in the league with Carolina at guard and center. Over the past two seasons, he’s started 20 games and hasn’t allowed a single sack. He’s graded out as a better pass blocker than run blocker, but Campbell and the Lions see a lot of upside in his game.
“We do feel like we can do the pin and pulls, the wide zones and gaps with him and we think he’s got enough versatility in all that,” Campbell said. “And he’s an ascending center. He really hasn’t played it that long. He’s getting better. We felt a lot of growth last year in that tape and they played really good opponents, a lot of them that we played.
“We just thought he had a really steady, solid season that’s ascending and we’re like, ‘Man, this guy upgrades us.’ So, we’re fired up to get him. It helps significantly.”