Last season marked a quick return to playoff form for the Carolina Panthers. It also came with a quick exit. The early shot at the offseason caused the team and head coach Ron Rivera to make some changes, specifically on offense. Offensive coordinator Mike Shula was shown the door and replaced with Norv Turner.
The Panthers spent their early free agent money and trade capital on their wide receiver corps, adding Torrey Smith from the Philadelphia Eagles and Jarius Wright from the Minnesota Vikings.
Now it’s time to draft some dudes. Here’s what I think they should do.
Round 1, Pick 24: Marcus Davenport, DE, UTSA
2017: 55 tackles, 17.5 for a loss, 8.5 sacks, four passes defended, three forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, one returned for a touchdown (6-7, 255 pounds)
The Panthers had their future pass rush set, but Kony Ealy has head-cased himself right out of the NFL. Now they’re officially a couple of drafts behind and must take the best defensive end that falls to them at 24. In this case, it’s Davenport. He’s a project, but one Carolina might not have the luxury of starting, considering how thin they are at defensive end.
Round 2, Pick 55: Greg Stroman, CB, Virginia Tech
2017: 20 tackles, four interceptions, one returned for a touchdown, 11 passes defended, 35 punt returns, 397 return yards, 11.3 yards per return, two returned for touchdowns (6-0, 181)
Carolina has yet to come close to replacing Josh Norman, even with a couple of drafts and free agent periods to do it. Stroman can start at corner and contribute on special teams.
Round 3, Pick 85: B.J. Hill, DT, N.C. State
2017: 55 tackles, 3.5 for a loss, two sacks, three passes defended, one forced fumble (6-4, 315 pounds)
The Panthers are in great shape at defensive tackle with their starters, Dontari Poe and Kawann Short. It’s the back ups that leave a lot to be desired. Vernon Butler, their 2016 first round pick, is heading straight to the bust pile. They won’t chuck him just yet, but they need to draft somebody to take his spot if they do.
Round 3, Pick 88: Jaleel Scott, WR, New Mexico State
2017: 76 catches, 1,079 yards, nine touchdowns (6-5, 218 pounds)
Scott is a beast at nearly 6-6 and weighs nearly as much as a linebacker. Add to that his 4.5 speed and he could turn into a dangerous weapon in Turner’s offense.
Round 5, Pick 161: Kemoko Turay, OLB, Rutgers
2017: 60 tackles, six for a loss, three sacks, one pass defended, two fumble recoveries (6-5, 241 pounds)
Middle linebacker Luke Kuerchly has struggled with injuries and Thomas Davis is suspended to start the season. Even when Davis comes back, he’ll likely be playing in his final year. That means it’s time to load up on linebackers and Turay is a value pick in the fifth.
Round 6, Pick 197: Nick Nelson, CB, Wisconsin
2017: 35 tackles, one for a loss, 21 passes defended (5-11, 208 pounds)
Nelson carries around two tennis rackets in the defensive backfield to bat away balls. If he ran a faster 40, he’d be going a lot higher in the draft. As it is, his 4.52 should be plenty fast enough.
Round 7, Pick 234: Sean Chandler, Safety, Temple
2017: 79 tackles, 1.5 for a loss, three interceptions, four passes defended, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery (6-0, 195 pounds)
Chandler adds depth at safety and special teams help.
Round 7, Pick 242: Tre’ Williams, OLB, Auburn
2017: 50 tackles, 2.5 for a loss, 2.5 sacks, one fumble recovery (6-2, 225 pounds)
As I said earlier, this is a year where the linebacker position is in flux in Carolina. Williams has starter potential, at both inside and outside linbacker spots.
