Soul Rebel

Safety is becoming a huge position on defense now with all of the tight end usage. Not that safety wasn't always important, but I think having a stellar safety has caught up with desiring a lock down corner. So much zone is played with the freakish atheltes at WR and TE that you need that deep man back there. Also, stepping in to stuff the run is vital now, so I don't get why a team would let a young talent like Swearinger go for a 3rd day pick. He's not like a McCourty or Chancellor type of safety, but he has a lot of potential to fill out at only 23. If our 5th would get him here, I'd do it in a minute. He's far from perfect, but he hasn't played behind this front 7. It would eliminate a huge need with a minor pick.

Love it.

I say Peters or Collins.

Marcus Peters and Lael Collins look like the BPA currently for Carolina.

Different strokes, for different folks. People could hate on me for liking Agholor and Devin Smith at 25 over guys like Strong and Dorsett. It's all what you like.

I've seen ARI taking him in a few mocks. I wonder if Gurley falls to 23, if DG would trade with DET and leapfrog ARI for him.

If we're dumb enough to take Strong at 25, I will go to bed Thursday night an unhappy Panthers fan.

4 picks to go and the following are still in contention: - Todd Gurley - Nelson Agholor - Devin Smith - La'el Collins - DJ Humphries - Ereck Flowers - Jake Fisher - Owa Odighizuwa

Perriman gone to PHI. Is he seriously balding? That pic of him on ESPN is horrible.

Seeing that it's D.Newton making the pick for us, and his recent article about his feeling about the team direction is a WR in round 1, I bet that's the way he's going. Wait, predicting the predictor?? It's like an NFL Draft Inception.

Agreed about Cooks coming into the draft. I wasn't a huge fan of Cooks last draft year bc of his physicality and ability to get catches off against press/bigger, stronger NFL CBs. He got banged around a bit last year and that is my only hesitation with Dorsett. Ironically enough, I am a fan of Dorsett more than Cooks as a draft-eligible WR. IDK why, but watching cut-ups of both, I walked away more impressed with Dorsett. I think Dorsett can compete as a #2 rather than just a slot gimmicky WR like Ginn or Brown. I don't like the value at #25, but I do like him in the 2nd. Only thing, the Dorsett hype-train is full speed ahead right now. I've seen mocks with him going before our #25 selection.

Didn't want him honestly. If he came here, I wouldn't have jumped off the ledge, because I think he could be serviceable as a #2, but not sad that he went to Oakland. That being said, no need to bump the Jennings thread, but Crabtree at least set the ceiling for what Jennings could go for. I think Crabtree is the more desired WR from a money standpoint, so I guess we could hypothesize that if we were to sign Jennings, it would be in the $3M/year range.

@BryanPalmese

IMO, every WR that's slotted to go late first - mid/late second have their flaws. - Strong: Too stiff, poor separation - DGB: character issues - Perriman: Crappy route tree, poor hands - Agholor: frame - Smith: route running It's just a matter of finding the right fit for the right team. For us, it's a #2, preferably with speed and who is also a playmaker. This whole group is talented and could all go anywhere from early 20s - end of the 2nd, IMO. I'm no scout or claim to be, but I remember a similar conversation going on last year for the Panthers. Players like Robinson, Latimer, Benjamin, Lee, Matthews were all slotted anywhere from early 20s - 2nd round. Just which team they fit with the best. Benjamin was a first round talent, but there were mocks out there that had him mid-2nd. Just saying that if DG thinks Smith is the right kind of WR for the Panthers, he could be the pick at #25. I don't see him being there when they come back around in the 2nd either. That's the kicker about this draft. If you want a WR, there's plenty of them, but the second tier of WRs drop off around 50. One could squeak through, but that's a gamble I wouldn't want to take. After the second tier, you enter the next tier of players like McBride, Hardy, Dorsett, etc. Still talented, but there is a drop off.

Nope. Might not be popular opinion, but enough people have Smith at the end of round 1 to not make it a reach. IMO, no less of a reach than Benjamin was last year.

1 - Devin Smith WR Ohio State 2 - Cedric Ogbuehi OT Texas A&M 3 - Buck Allen RB USC 4 - Durrell Eskridge S Syracuse

Saw that.... great find! Not familiar w/ him, other than he was a former 2nd round pick and was a back up on the Jets last year. Their OL was pretty horrible last year too, so if he couldn't crack the lineup, then he is simply just depth.....which I'm okay with. Would rather stock the cupboards heading into the draft and this summer, and have to cut folks instead of scrambling to add talent.

Disagree. I don't understand the people that want to move Bene inside so much. He played boundary at SJSU and did fine, outside of the Seattle game as our CB2. Easier in the draft/FA to find a nickel than a starting outside CB. If we do find one, fine, but we can find another Bene in rounds 3-5. Guys like Josh Shaw, Doran Grant and Jacoby Glenn to name a few. I do believe the Panthers will address this need in the draft, but I don't see them going after a #1 CB, though I would love Marcus Peters if he drops.

I don't know about this, but I do see your opinion. My thought is, an OL is made up of 5 guys that build chemistry, and are strong as a sum of their parts. Oher, Remmers & Martin might not be All-Pro tackles or anything more than average tackles, but when they bookend Norwell-Kalil-Turner, the whole unit balances out their deficiencies. I think 1 of these 3 tackles will emerge as an above average tackle this year. That gives you 4 out of 5 OL that are dependable. Norwell, Kalil, Turner and Remmers have 1/2 a season to build off of, and if they can stay healthy, I think this OL is instantly better than the crap we saw for most of last season in the trenches. I might be a homer here, but I will wait to judge Oher before seeing him healthy and reunited with Matzko. I will also hold judgment on Martin until I see him with this team. We're getting Martin in late March, which gives him all offseason to get acclimated to the core of that line. It wouldn't surprise me if both flop here, but knowing how changes of scenery and being fully removed from injuries can have positive affects, I'm willing to give them both the benefit of the doubt. Regardless, I think if we roll out Oher-Norwell-Kalil-Turner-Remmers or Oher-Norwell-Kalil-Turner-Martin, it will be stronger, better and safer for Cam & the running game, than it was in 2014. Considering the $1M pricetag for a former 2nd round pick that is only 25 years old, I'm good with it. Worst case it's depth if that horrible injury bug bites us again. Martin can step in and at least provide a band-aid. Just my 2 pennies.

Same way I viewed the Oher signing. Wasn't doing cartwheels, but thought it could possibly work. Martin, for different reasons might not work out, but similar mindset for me with these two signings.

Not mad about this at all. Not a fan of his past in Miami, and didn't pan out in SF, but SF had a pretty nasty OL. Young, talented and provides instant depth. Could definitely see this locker room helping get him back on track, and him being our RT by late in the season.

Truuuutttthhhhhh! Only one I see that can give us what Ball would have, is Tillman. Not a spring chicken, but 6'2" and only a couple of years removed from a Pro Bowl. Other than that, you're hitting in Cason territory.

I'm almost thinking a reversal on Tolbert. I thought he would make the most sense given his lack of production last year, injury-plagued season in '14, UFA in '16 and his semi-high salary for a FB.... a position that is quickly becoming obsolete due to the h-back and single-set RB look. Then I saw a stat where the Panthers were 7-3 with Tolbert in the lineup and 1-6-1 without him. Not sure of the correlation, but crazy coincidence of his impact. I remember way more miscues and lackluster performances from him, than great games in '14. If we lose Cotchery, we probably replace him with a vet (Jennings), so that doesn't open a roster spot. I agree Cole is probably on the outside looking in. Harper would be next on the chopping block, especially if we end up with Collins somehow. I also believe someone like Bersin or Colin Jones if Carolina snags an early CB in the draft.

I know people throw around the Smith-like tag anytime an undersized WR with speed is available, but I truly believe Crowder fits the Smitty-esque bill. His size and speed are the easy giveaways, but his ability to fight for the ball, his vertical, and strength to play much bigger than his size, is what I like about Crowder. If he's available still with one of our compensatory picks, I'd snag him. I don't want him as our future #2, but an additional WR that could evolve into a nasty slot receiver with return abilities would be okay.

Love everything about Perriman..... except his hands. They're bad. Very suspect and inconsistent. One play he will make an incredible high-point grab, and the next he will drop a wide open catch. Very KB-esque like last year. KB wasn't as bad as advertised, but he did frustrate us a lot this past year with his drops. If Proehl can help with their techniques and improve the pass catching, Perriman is a bonafide top-20 selection. Perfect frame, fast, fluid, big hands, incredible vertical, doesn't shy away from physicality. Only knocks on him are level of talent faced at UCF and his hands. Honestly, at #25 there is a severe knock on every WR. Strong - Stiff & lacks separation DGB - off field/character issues Smith - route running Agholor - frame/physicality Perriman - hands For me, Smith and Agholor are my personal faves, but Perriman is right behind them.