Draft class - progress report time

[CRA]

Obviously one year doesn’t make a draft class.  But I figured since the season was basically over we could take a quick peak at our very highly praised draft class and look at their progress.   At the time (like most), this was praised as one of the best ever.  And it could be.  As I said, one year doesn’t make a class.  But let’s look at what they have shown to date. 

Who would we say is our rookie of the year? 

Most impressive to date? 

Most disappointing to date? 
 

Round 1 • Pick 8 (8) • CB Jaycee Horn 

3 games - 3 solo tackles, 1 INT, 1 PD

 

Round 2 • Pick 27 (59) • WR Terrace Marshall Jr. 

12 games - 15 rec, 122 yards 

 

Round 3 • Pick 6 (70) • T Brady Christensen 

4 starts

 

Round 3 • Pick 20 (83) • TE Tommy Tremble 

15 games, 18 rec, 173 yards, 1 TD

 

Round 4 • Pick 21 (126) • RB Chuba Hubbard 

15 games, 509 rush yards, 4 TDs, 20 rec, 153 rec yards 

 

Round 5 • Pick 14 (158) • DT Daviyon Nixon 

7 games, 1 solo tackle, 0.5 sack

 

Round 5 • Pick 22 (166) • CB Keith Taylor Jr. 

15 games, 24 solo tackles, 3 PD

 

Round 6 • Pick 9 (193) • G Deonte Brown 

2 games, 1 snap on O, 5 on ST

 

Round 6 • Pick 20 (204) • WR Shi Smith 

5 games, 6 rec, 105 yards 

 

Round 6 • Pick 38 (222) • LS Thomas Fletcher 

IR

 

Round 7 • Pick 4 (232) • DT Phil Hoskins

3 games, 3 solo tackles, 1 sack

 

* stats per ESPN and snaps/starts pro football reference 

[CRA]

Marshall IMO has been the most disappointing.  Thought he would be the most productive as a rookie.    Runner up Brown.  Don’t see how a Bama G can’t get on the field with the talent we got.

just hardly no opportunity. 

I guess in just 3 games I’ll give Horn rookie of the year.   There just really isn’t any competition.  Tremble runner up.   Hubbard has the most production but that is just a matter of pure volume and I’ll give him 3rd. 

* as always Matt Rhule sucks so it is hard to really tell what we have here.

[4Corners]

Horn: D-

Marshall: F-

Christensen C

Tremble: C

Taylor: C+

Shi Smith: C

The rest are all on the D-F range. 
 

I could also make an argument on an “Incomplete” as teachers have been known to give based on the current circumstances with the God awful coaching and talent development we have here  

 

[Fox007]

Hard to even judge the offensive players too much as they are playing in a CFB offense that is an extremely simple one at that with DBs running their routes along side them.

Tremble also has a rushing TD you could update on the list there.

And like your * said Matt Rhule being Matt Rhule is going to make much of anything hard to evaluate.

[TheSpecialJuan]

Still a lot of promise in this class let’s not give up on them yet 

[CarolinaNCSU]

For a team that needed help in the trenches, taking 1 guy on the lines in the first 5 picks, then not playing him/changing his position/forced to play him, speaks volumes to the talent evaluation we're dealing with here.  Fitts isn't innocent either, rolling with Erving/Elflein/Paradis/and the scrap heap of backups we have. 

Horn was good before the injury, but can't help but think we'd have been better off with Slater and there's still a small chance we didn't see any "bad" Horn. He's a rookie again next year. 

Marshall was a luxury pick who can't see the field under Rhule. Would've been better off drafting a C or OG there. Can't throw the ball anyway, what's the point having your 2nd round pick be at best your 5th option?

I still think every name on the list has promise and has shown flashes, but I can't help but think we're getting 2 starters max out of a draft most loved at the time. 

[Fox007]

Brown from last year not looking so hot especially again compared to what was around him based on our areas of need as well.

https://www.pff.com/nfl/players/jedrick-wills/58467

https://www.pff.com/nfl/players/tristan-wirfs/64818

Wirfs being obvious but even Wills would be a bolster to our OL....instead we get a lump of mostly uselessness at DT.

[Verge]

Seems like a big incomplete given injuries and terrible coaching.

[BlitzMonster]

The grade is INCOMPLETE for everybody.  Just not enough playing time to evaluate any of them fairly.  

That's on the coaching staff for not developing the rookies.  It's a huge failure given the team is supposed to be rebuilding right now.  

[4Corners]

I’ve heard former pro athletes say that the worst thing that can happen to an NFL rookie is to get hurt the first season and miss the year. Not a good sign for Horn - a player not many were fond of drafting in the first place. Derrick Brown isn’t headed in the right direction either. 
 

usually when you have terrible coaches and terrible talent evaluation and development like the Panthers have, first round busts are just residue left over. Wouldn’t surprise me if these guys don’t work out here. Hope I’m wrong. 

[4Corners]

1 minute ago, Verge said:

Seems like a big incomplete given injuries and terrible coaching.

Yes 

[chknwing]

since Rhule barely played them, I would say hard to judge

[Mr. Scot]

12 minutes ago, Verge said:

Seems like a big incomplete given injuries and terrible coaching.

Pretty much, especially the awful coaching.

[Verge]

I honestly didn't think we would find someone worse at developing rookies than John Fox, but damn, here we are.