Clearly the Panthers are trying to do a roster overhaul without suffering a hitch in their giddy-yup. And I don’t think they traded up to Pick No. 1 just to grab an Edge-Rusher. They are after their new Franchise QB and the choice seems to me to be either YOUNG or STROUD. They seem to have done a nice job keeping their Pick choice to themselves internally, so let me move on and fill their Draft basket, as they try to rise to the top of perhaps the weakest division in the NFL.
Round 1, Pick 1 BRYCE YOUNG QB Alabama 5’10/190 There are a multitude of reasons for this team to take YOUNG and the biggest has to be that he clearly fits in the category of being a “beautiful mind” in a football sense. Mentally he is just a natural football genius. He also has a strong, accurate arm and is athletic enough to move the pocket and throw on the run. Might also add that having played in the SEC gives him added fan allure south of the old Mason-Dixon Line in Charlotte.
Round 2, Pick 39 ADE ADEBAWORE DL Northwestern 6’2/280 Another slightly undersized guy at the DL positions. But he has an outlier body and skill set. His height is not what you expect from an edge-rush DE, but 33 7/8″ arms help him compensate for the lack of height. He is also strong and toned. His 37 1/2″ vert indicates his explosion. He will fit multiple roles in that Front-7, and he’ll chase down a lot of runners with his 4.49/40 speed.
Round 3, Pick 93 BRAEDEN DANIELS OL Utah 6’4/295 Their OL is quite good but lacks much quality depth. Eventually DANIELS may become a starter along the IOL. But for now he could serve as their top OL back-up at almost any spot. He could immediately take the place of 3 or 4 OL as top back-up on game day. That is good Round 3 value in my eyes.
Round 4, Pick 114 NICK HAMPTON OB/ER App St 6’2/235 Good athlete who has the explosion and the bend to blitz around the edge and disrupt the pocket. He also has the athleticism to improve in coverage with good pro coaching.
Round 4, Pick 132 TYLER SCOTT WR/RS Cincinnati 510/177 Their receiving group features solid veteran possession receivers but not a whole lot of speed/quickness. SCOTT could change that dynamic around. He ran a 4.44/40 at the Combine but most impressive was his 1.51/10-yard split explosion off the snap. He can also handle return work to boost Special Teams.
Round 5, Pick 145 CHRIS RODRIGUEZ RB Kentucky 5’11/225 The team is working on replacing Chris McC, but it will take more than one man to do it. RODRIGUEZ is a tough inside runner, who does not go down easily and should compliment SANDERS/HUBBARD with pure power inside the Tackles.
That’s it for this Draft class for the Panthers. The key is obviously YOUNG @ QB, but these complimentary pieces will help the overall roster makeup and talent level. If YOUNG provides instant quality QB play, the Saints/Falcons/Bucs will find them a tough out, and possibly a legit challenger for the NFC South division title.
Pigskin