Just a quick trip down memory lane...

[Cyberjag]

Last year's draft grades:

SBNation, C+.  "The Panthers went into the Draft with wide receiver as their top need and came out of the first day with a boom-bust prospect in Kelvin Benjamin"

 

Nfl.com, C+.  "Gettleman couldn't address all of the team's biggest needs during the draft, but he snatched up a handful of athletic talents with upside."

 

Prisco, D.  "I didn't like their first two picks in Benjamin and pass rusher Kony Ealy. They had other needs. They needed to pick an offensive tackle and they didn't."

Let's hope the "experts" are equally right this year.

[The NFL Shield At Midfield]

well guys we'll catch you in december when you're putting together your end of the year all rookie teams and draft do-over articles

[Mr. Scot]

Calling Pete Prisco an expert is like calling Pauly Shore an actor.

[Cyberjag]

Prisco did give us a B- in 2013, and NFL.com gave us a C+ then.  I can't find a SBNation grade for that year, but it's pretty obvious that Gettleman has a different big board than the reporters do

[JccOldTime23]

Marty Hurney's drafts routinely got A's and B's from the so called experts and they almost never panned out. I think getting poor grades from them means we had a pretty solid draft.

[Leeroy Jenkins PhD]

Hard to have flashy drafts when you are always making the playoffs and picking late in each round.  

 

Maybe if we missed out on the playoffs like the other teams in the division we could have one of those top drafts.   Oh well, here is to the 3-peat!

[Delhommey]

A lot of draft grades are based off of recognizing names in the later rounds and teams filling needs regardless of scheme fit.

[MHS831]

I don't think our special teams will be second to anyone this year.  I think our defense will continue to be top 5. 

 

So, looking at the offense, we are going to be better at RB, OT, and WR--and QB

[MV%doe]

Most base grades off " did they fill needs " .

Plus grading the draft a day after is beyond dumb. I don't like the draft class AT ALL, but I waiting til the start of season two before I go super emo on this class.

I have the feeling this class will need more time to show if I'm wrong, anyways. They may need three years, we'll see.

Edit: For record I really like the last two drafts, didn't agree on a couple picks BUT understood the value was too good. This draft was really weird all around.

[CarolinaNCSU]

And I've already seen one 2016 mock draft today, that has us picking like 12th next year. Give me another 12-4 season to shut people up...please. 

[Mr. Scot]

Remember back when every mock had us taking a tight end in round one?

[gettlemanjack]

Not taking an OT last draft was a huge mistake. You don't address your biggest need, i don't see how you expect to get better than a D grade. Those gradea in the OP are. being generous to the Panthers

[caatfan]

"They needed to pick an offensive tackle and they didn't."

 

I wonder which available OT he would have grabbed at 28. Moses? I think we got way more mileage out of our #1 by taking the 6'5" WR instead of the 6'6" OT who sat out with a foot injury.

 

SBNation, C+.  "The Panthers went into the Draft with wide receiver as their top need and came out of the first day with a boom-bust prospect in Kelvin Benjamin"

 

Change that C+ to an A. KB was a boom.

 

 

[gettlemanjack]

"They needed to pick an offensive tackle and they didn't."

I wonder which available OT he would have grabbed at 28. Moses?

those are grades are for the whole draft. We didn't take an OT the whole draft. If you were grading the Panthers, the grade would be "Downright Idiotic F"

Only excuse could be if there were no OTs better than Bell and Chandler in that draft, but nobody is going to believe that when grading the draft