Jump to content

  • Welcome!

    Register and log in easily with Twitter or Google accounts!

    Or simply create a new Huddle account. 

    Members receive fewer ads , access our dark theme, and the ability to join the discussion!

     

Should the Carolina Panthers Use an Early-Round Draft Pick on a Running Back?

Jeremy Igo

By Jeremy Igo,
in Carolina Panthers

Recommended Posts

Jeremy Igo Newbie

Jeremy Igo

Posted
Posted

Some interesting stats here, looking at the running backs from the worst offensive lines in football (of which Carolina is a part, sadly)

 

 

 

 

 

In Jonathan Stewart’s case, he was playing behind one of the worst offensive lines in football last year. Anyone who watched the Eagles-Panthers game where Cam Newtonwas flattened like a pancake to the tune of nine sacks can attest to that. But pass protection and run blocking are two different animals, and according toFootballOutsiders.com, Carolina was even worse at creating holes for its rushers than it was at creating time for Cam to throw, ranking as the 27th-best run blocking line in 2014.

 

 

Running behind a porous run blocking offensive line is tough, even for good running backs. In fact, only three of the 15 rushers above matched or bested the NFL league average for rushers since 2011 on a per rush basis (-0.02 NEP for running backs totaling over 50 carries in a season). But Stewart ranked only 8th out of 15 qualifying rushers in Rushing NEP and 7th in Rushing NEP on a per rush basis among qualifying running backs on these teams.

Stewart did, however, boast the third highest Success Rate (the percentage of plays contributing positive NEP to a player’s total NEP) among this group, besting former rushing title luminaries including Lesean McCoy and Arian Foster.

 

Linky
Link to comment
Share on other sites
mbarbour21 Proficient

mbarbour21

Posted
Posted

Best player available. That is honestly what I hope we grab. If every position was completely equal at our pick and no one wanted to trade up to our spot......I'd pick according to depth at the positions in the draft. The draft is too uncertain to really pin point. My personal preference? I'd love a receiver capable of a #2 role. RB is a weapon, but I'd prefer WR.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Khyber53 Grand Master

Khyber53

Posted
Posted

If Wisconsin's Gordon or Miami's Duke Johnson were available in the second, I think we'd be foolish to pass up on them. Both would be great complimentary runners to Stewart and both offer good hands and speed as receivers out of the backfield.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
tiger7_88 Experienced

tiger7_88

Posted
Posted

I would go more 3rd or 4th round..

My preference in the first 3 rounds is any combo of OT/WR/DE.

After that? Yeah, RB sounds fine to me. If you can get a kid like Cameron Artis-Payne from Auburn (yes, I'm biased), a kid who was the Southeastern Conference's leading rusher in 2014, a kid with experience and great success in a read-option, one-cut offense, in the 4th or 5th round? Hell yeah, sign me up.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
DOMOMAN Newbie

DOMOMAN

Posted
Posted

Its a deep deep RB class so i think you can find 10-15 carry a game backs in the mid-late rounds like Javorius Allen (who we've met with) at USC or Karlos Williams the converted safety out of FSU. Build from the inside out with some hog mollies and give the guys you have a larger hole, the difference between a Todd Gurley and a later round back with our current O-Line would be negligible compared to what a top O-Lineman would bring compared to Oher or Martin at LT

Link to comment
Share on other sites
frash.exe Apprentice

frash.exe

Posted
Posted

I'd wait until at least the third. Drafting runningbacks earlier than that has never ever worked out for us ever. I don't care if Gurley is the next Jedi in the backfield. They were saying the same poo about Trent Richardson a few years ago. This board just has an obsession with having multiple first round picks at runningback.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing

  • PMH4OWPW7JD2TDGWZKTOYL2T3E.jpg

  • Topics

  • Posts

    • MHS831
      D. Morgan on T-Mac: “I made the decision pretty early [January]

      By MHS831 · Posted

      With the exception of knowing our obvious needs and who we were talking to along the way, my question is this:  How did so many people start on this Jalon Walker frenzy?  I think this--everyone wants to have a voice, make a prediction.  Now with social media and 24 hour tv, networks, etc.  it is more like a middle school grapevine than it is a process where people actually dig for real evidence and reasons.  Speculative journalism is lazy, and since there are now 2,348.356 podcasters with basement studios blasting nonsense into our phones all day, I think they just cut and paste ideas.  Yes, coaches lie and mislead, but I don't think Morgan or Canales did.  You are only as reliable as your sources.  Was Morgan more deliberate this year?  I think he heard the gossip and decided to downplay WR.  He said, (paraphrasing) "We like our QB room.  We will probably add to it at some point."  Not a lie, but definitely downplaying things. I was convinced that we needed a blazer to keep safeties honest, but to be honest, I am not sure that we have the QB with the arm to keep safeties honest.  We have Coker who is 6'1", Theilen is 6'2", and Legette is 6'3" and now TMac is 6'4"+.  It seems size has more value than blazing deep speed.  If I had known they thought that, I might have gone with TMac all along--I thought he was not a good fit.  And if you look at the Panther guide and consider the talent they met with in the first round, there was only one offensive player--TMac. There was another quote that Morgan made that might have been a bit revealing or at least directive. (Paraphrasing) "We want players that were productive in college."  Well, TMac was very productive. In 2023 and in 2024, he averaged 108.8 yards per game.   He is also a great artist.  Drew this portrait of Bryce Young from memory: Many people spent 3 months absolutely confident that Jalon Walker would play edge here. We had a need at edge, but with Clowney, Wonnum, and Jones, were we OK if we drafted a second round Edge? Was Walker the answer?  Unlike Hunter, he is a versatile player who could be awesome in the right system, but if used as a pure edge, he is not a top 10 player.  I was convinced that we would sign Jalon and as much as I like the kid, I could not feel good about the pick.  Mykel Williams scared me.  Both might be great players, but I could not see it.  So was Scourton productive? He was as a Jr when he was standing.  When asked to be other things, he lost his edge (pun intended). In essence, I think we got the best pure edge when you take away the other things he was supposed to do.  Walker's productivity was based on his versatility--something he would lose as a pure edge--so we would not really be meeting needs at edge.  Scourton, on the other hand, is better when not asked to be versatile.  Princely had 10.5 sacks in the SEC.  It simply makes sense.
    • PNW_PantherMan
      Hall signs extension

      By PNW_PantherMan · Posted

      Great signing
    • Jon Snow
      Panthers sign Hunter Renfrow

      By Jon Snow · Posted

      I think they will too. Renfrow will use this opportunity to get in shape and get paid for it. After he's cut he will probably get picked up by someone after preseason.
×
×
  • Create New...