Unnecessary Bluntness: Do Panthers already have a draft crush?

[top dawg]

1 hour ago, Panthero said:

Looks like their rating and weaknesses are pretty similar on nfl.com. 

 

The mosy alarming for this offense. 

• Below-average quickness getting in and out of his breaks.

You've convinced me on Coleman.....now I don't either of them. 

I don't particularly go by NFL.com because the info is dated (at least a lot of the time, and I've seen a year old before). 

I would also say that X has strengths that would at least lead to a floor that's higher than many. One scout said that his ceiling was second to none.

[Panthero]

2 hours ago, top dawg said:

I don't particularly go by NFL.com because the info is dated (at least a lot of the time, and I've seen a year old before). 

I would also say that X has strengths that would at least lead to a floor that's higher than many. One scout said that his ceiling was second to none.

Fair. But if he has that weakness it doesnt go away, its an athletic trait.

I'll eat crow if I'm wrong. Just seems like a huge risk to me. These raw athlete types tend to struggle, even the ones that played sec (the conference I tend to watch since they dominate the league) competition. 

[52Beast]

10 hours ago, top dawg said:

Some guys are just gamers. X strikes me as a gamer. I'll take a bully ball catcher. Honestly, that's Tee Higgins' calling card.

I can buy that.  That’s the will that I mentioned.  He’s got fight in him and he will win some of those fights for the ball.  I also think he’s a guy who you’d want in the foxhole.  I’ll think he’ll feast on an offense with a WR1.  

[top dawg]

6 hours ago, CRA said:

but has a single poster even argued for Legette at 33?  Lots are arguing against taking him at 33. 

I mean, I guess there is the worry the Panthers could do Panther things and overdraft him though.  So I guess there is that.  Consensus here is that 33 is too high I would think. 

Not that you have to take Kiper's word, but remember that he has relationships with plenty of scouts and plenty of execs.

https://www.si.com/college/southcarolina/football/xavier-legette-projected-as-a-first-rounder-by-mel-kiper-jr

[CPF4LIFE]

9 hours ago, Tr3ach said:

Im not, I'm comparing them off of their poor route running and lack of seperation and lateral quickness.  Its just a coincidence their measurables are really similar. 

Hey thats cool...imma tell you the same thing i tell other folks we can check back on this in a years time and see if they are still the same player then. 

[Bear Hands]

The other thing that scares me with Legette, beyond some quite apparent growth needed (route-running, ball tracking, spatial awareness), is that he was a 5 year guy, and did nothing, like nothing, for the first 4.  ~420 yards, 5 TDs, in his first 4 years.  That's not an season avg, that's overall. 

So, 23 years old, one real season making noise.  Not trying to just dig at him, but he would be a very disappointing 2nd round choice IMO.  We've gone through this type of receiver before who tests well, measures well, but then it's like, what are you getting on the field?  Is he a game breaker? Playmaker? Team elevator? I don't see it.  

We need the separators, technicians, multi-role types.  Now if we get him as one of a double dip, I could definitely buy in on the upside, but he's not a plug and play.  And at that age, it makes me nervous. 

 

[rayzor]

5 minutes ago, Bear Hands said:

The other thing that scares me with Legette, beyond some quite apparent growth needed (route-running, ball tracking, spatial awareness), is that he was a 5 year guy, and did nothing, like nothing, for the first 4.  ~420 yards, 5 TDs, in his first 4 years.  That's not an season avg, that's overall. 

So, 23 years old, one real season making noise.  Not trying to just dig at him, but he would be a very disappointing 2nd round choice IMO.  We've gone through this type of receiver before who tests well, measures well, but then it's like, what are you getting on the field?  Is he a game breaker? Playmaker? Team elevator? I don't see it.  

We need the separators, technicians, multi-role types.  Now if we get him as one of a double dip, I could definitely buy in on the upside, but he's not a plug and play.  And at that age, it makes me nervous. 

i would love him on the team, but i would love him even more if we had one of those multi-role guys or some kind of separation specialists drafted. but i also have to think about who we added to the WR room in diontae johnson. could he be enough that we wouldn't need to draft one of those guys and can just draft a big guy like Leggette?

[Bostonheelfish]

In love with medonkey

[Bear Hands]

1 hour ago, rayzor said:

i would love him on the team, but i would love him even more if we had one of those multi-role guys or some kind of separation specialists drafted. but i also have to think about who we added to the WR room in diontae johnson. could he be enough that we wouldn't need to draft one of those guys and can just draft a big guy like Leggette?

For a season, Dionte could be enough, but I'm unsure if he fits in the long term plans.  It's why my personal pref would be to target the types that have good floors with little acclimation needed. The nice thing is these dudes still have legit ceilings, all-pro potential, they're not gadgety.  They can just play multiple receiver spots.  It's why I'm waaay preferential to McConkey and Pearsall in this draft class.  I have something coming on Pearsall because I've become a huge stan of his.  

If we're talking X-types, AD Mitchell is a guy tough to pass if there.  Otherwise, the one high upside, higher bust potential guy I like early is Troy Franklin. Oregon's offense revolved around him and just love when you spot a guy with that type of energy that takes the team up a notch.  He paves lanes, was explosive, and is just smooth as hell.  His problem is that he could get bullied/lacks play strength so he could be used more in a movement role at times to create quick separation until he acclimates for NFL man coverage.  Which is great bc we have Dionte to help counter for a season.  

Elsewhere, I'd LOVE to take a mid-to-late gamble on a guy like Javon Baker.  He's a draft crush as well.

 

[WhoKnows]

23 hours ago, ForJimmy said:

@Tr3achis right though. There is a tough transition winning jump balls against college CBs vs NFL.  We flopped on a couple jump ball specialists in Benjamin, TMJ, Jarrett etc… Williams may be solid at it but his health has become an issue in the process. 

Flopped on TMJ and Jarrett sure, but damn Benjamin does not belong in the same sentence. He was a disappointment for his career because he never got back from the knee injury but he’s not in the same vicinity as those two.

Benjamin 40 games 2424 yards and 18 TDs

TMJ 36 games 767 yards and 1 TD

Jarrett 32 games 428 yards and 1 TD

Benjamin was almost at 1 TD every 2 games, the other two had 1 career TD. Feel free to hate on Benjamin overall but he did actually do stuff on the field. His highlight catches against Seattle and 2 great DBs and against SF were amazing jump balls. Jarrett and TMJ were literally useless.

[ForJimmy]

1 minute ago, WhoKnows said:

Flopped on TMJ and Jarrett sure, but damn Benjamin does not belong in the same sentence. He was a disappointment for his career because he never got back from the knee injury but he’s not in the same vicinity as those two.

Benjamin 40 games 2424 yards and 18 TDs

TMJ 36 games 767 yards and 1 TD

Jarrett 32 games 428 yards and 1 TD

Benjamin was almost at 1 TD every 2 games, the other two had 1 career TD. Feel free to hate on Benjamin overall but he did actually do stuff on the field. His highlight catches against Seattle and 2 great DBs and against SF were amazing jump balls. Jarrett and TMJ were literally useless.

Honestly the KB thing is kind of sad. He dropped off quite a bit after his mom passed away…

[WhoKnows]

Just now, ForJimmy said:

Honestly the KB thing is kind of sad. He dropped off quite a bit after his mom passed away…

I still wish he never tore his ACL. He was by all reports having an amazing camp and in great shape. He had a really good 1000 yard/8TD rookie year and had 6-91 1TD against Denver week 1 of 2016. I would have loved to have seen him on the 2015 squad and in the SB instead of Cotchery* or Ginn tipping passes for INTs. KB couldn’t get thrown around by Talib. I think Cam with KB changes the offense that day.

* I know the replay official sucked balls but he should have just caught it clean.

[top dawg]

3 hours ago, Bear Hands said:

The other thing that scares me with Legette, beyond some quite apparent growth needed (route-running, ball tracking, spatial awareness), is that he was a 5 year guy, and did nothing, like nothing, for the first 4.  ~420 yards, 5 TDs, in his first 4 years.  That's not an season avg, that's overall. 

So, 23 years old, one real season making noise.  Not trying to just dig at him, but he would be a very disappointing 2nd round choice IMO.  We've gone through this type of receiver before who tests well, measures well, but then it's like, what are you getting on the field?  Is he a game breaker? Playmaker? Team elevator? I don't see it.  

We need the separators, technicians, multi-role types.  Now if we get him as one of a double dip, I could definitely buy in on the upside, but he's not a plug and play.  And at that age, it makes me nervous. 

 

The length of time it took him to break out is a concern, but on the other side of the coin is that he did break out once given the opportunity, and not in a small way. Not sure how you can't see him as a game breaker or playmaker; from what I've read, it's hard not to see him as exactly that. One draft profile (or two) that I read explicitly said that Legette is a big play waiting to happen, and one play away from winning the game. 

Moreover, I said that Tee Higgins made 50-50 balls more like 70-30  Well, Legette has that trait right now (on an off note, someone actually used my "70-30" term in one of their draft profiles or articles on Legette, but I believe I used it on the Huddle first). Legette is a bully ball demigod. The only reason I don't call him a jump ball god yet is because he isn't in the NFL. 

It's just something to think about. I don't know what we're going to do, but I know that Kiper's latest mock has Detroit taking Legette in the first. I do know that if he's somehow there at 65, someone needs to break their ankle getting the card to the podium. 

Edited March 21, 2024 by top dawg

[Untouchable]

4 hours ago, Bear Hands said:

The other thing that scares me with Legette, beyond some quite apparent growth needed (route-running, ball tracking, spatial awareness), is that he was a 5 year guy, and did nothing, like nothing, for the first 4.  ~420 yards, 5 TDs, in his first 4 years.  That's not an season avg, that's overall. 

So, 23 years old, one real season making noise.  Not trying to just dig at him, but he would be a very disappointing 2nd round choice IMO.  We've gone through this type of receiver before who tests well, measures well, but then it's like, what are you getting on the field?  Is he a game breaker? Playmaker? Team elevator? I don't see it.  

We need the separators, technicians, multi-role types.  Now if we get him as one of a double dip, I could definitely buy in on the upside, but he's not a plug and play.  And at that age, it makes me nervous. 

 

The late breakout is probably discussed during the interview processes with teams but I have a feeling the passing of his dad right before entering college (after losing his mom a couple years earlier) could be a factor and might be why teams are giving him a pass on the low early production.