I'll Play the Mock Game too. Keyboard GM!

[Catufb85]

That time of year where all football fans are salivating and chomping at the bit ready for the draft to get here!  Less than two weeks away and no one really knows how this draft is going to go.  To my memory this will probably be one of the more unpredictable and wild drafts that i can recall just solely based on the fact that no one even knows how the 1st through the top 10 picks will go because of the Quarterbacks, teams trading up, teams like the Giants who could take anyone from Darnold to Barkley to even trading down, and plenty more possibilities.

Panthers sit at #24 in the draft with a multitude of needs: Safety, Cornerback, Wide Receiver, Offensive Line, and Defensive Line.

History shows that after about the first 15 picks the value from say 16-40 are about the same.  Sitting at #24, if we say there, there is a ton of value still left but depending on if "our guy" falls to us or worst case scenario we go BPA.  With have several holes we need to fill and being on the back end of each round in the draft with the plus of having two 3rd round picks we need to make sure we hit on our first four picks and they are immediate contributors.  Anything after about round 4 is completely unpredictable.

Here's my shot at a mock feel free to criticize as needed:

Round 1 Pick 24: CB, Jaire Alexander (Louisville) 5'11 192 ran a 4.38 at the combine.  Mayock has Jaire as his #2 cornerback as of the beginning of April.  I believe Denzel Ward and Josh Jackson will be gone by the time we draft.  Wide Receiver could be in play here but I believe Calvin and also DJ Moore will be gone as well. Mayock has Ridley and Moore #1 and #2 Wide Receivers.  Christin Kirk i believe will still be in place here but I believe at this time Cornerback is a bigger concern.  I love Jaire's aggressiveness and swagger.  Could use a littler more muscle on his slender frame but plays bigger than he looks.  And a guess a little added bonus he's a local product from Charlotte.

Round 2 Pick 55th Pick:  TE Hayden Hurst (South Carolina) NFL comparison to Greg Olsen our very own. Brought in for private workout athletic tight end that scouts say has the grit and work ethic to become a starting TE in this league.  What better TE to learn from than our guy G-reg. 

Round 3 pick 85: Safety Jessie Bates III (Wake Forest) 6'1 200 safety ran a 4.5 at combine.  Described as a very instinctive safety that plays bigger than listed.  Prospect whom we've personally met with. Helps fill the hole at safety.

Round 3 pick 88: RB Nick Chubb (UGA) *Not sure if he'll be here this late my other picks would be C Frank Ragnow or WR DaeShaun Hamilition.  Chubb is being viewed as the 2nd best running back out of UGA and i would have to agree.  He looked healthy last year after hurting his knee which he seems to have recovered from and had a successful season even sharing time with Sony Michel.  I think Chubb could be the thunder to CMC's lightning. 

Just a shot in the dark of what I hope could happen.  But come draft day i think its going to be one of the more trade happy drafts we could have.

Keep Pounding.

 

[Peppers90 NC]

i dont think anyone would be mad there, I like Ragnow over Chubb barely but would be happy with either

[ColumbusCounty]

I've been saying it and saying it:

Alexander in the first and the Penn State TE in the second.. mark it down. Unless some unexpected elite players slips to #24.

[Pantha-kun]

That is a pretty good, balanced drat position wise. I like all those players. 

Josh Jackson actually kinda scares me. Another slow moving corner with good size and supposedly good cover instincts, in the mold of Worely and Bradberry. At least I know Alexander is quite fast and talented. 

Yea, with the Cowboys cutting Dez and the Pats trading ahead of us, along with Ravens being almost as guaranteed to take a WR as the Jags were to take fournette last year, the best availalble WR would probably be Kirk by the time we're on the board and hes not what we're looking for in terms of size or polished WR talent.

If we pick up Kirk then we have the opposite of the KB/Funchess problem , we will have too many small quick dudes that really cant out jump or out muscle people , and theres no guarantee funchess will be on our team after 2018 season.