[The Athletic] Panthers big board: Draft options at No. 8

[kungfoodude]

8 hours ago, 1989 said:

Man, really feeling like trading back would be amazing. A lot of depth in our areas of need.

Depends on the deal. There is a very small elite group so if one falls to you, grab them without hesitating. The 2nd tier group is quite big, however. Stretches from early 1st to almost the 3rd round. If you can snag multiple in that range, that's preferable to reaching at 8.

[hepcat]

It’s this time of year where the debate about winning those meaningless late season games is a real conversation. I’m glad they started to figure out how to close out a game but it also comes at the price of an elite player. Hopefully one of elite defensive players drops and Morgan isn’t too dense to pick one of them

[SCO96]

57 minutes ago, hepcat said:

It’s this time of year where the debate about winning those meaningless late season games is a real conversation. I’m glad they started to figure out how to close out a game but it also comes at the price of an elite player. Hopefully one of elite defensive players drops and Morgan isn’t too dense to pick one of them

There's not a player in this draft worth tanking for. I don't see a big difference between Carolina picking in the top 5 or at 8 based on this draft class.

We've got 10 draft picks.  Our biggest need is on the defensive side of the ball. There's no reason why the Panthers wouldn't be significantly better by simply picking the best defensive player on the board (at any position) when we're on the clock. If we went all defense in the first 3 rounds we should come away with 3 starters. We should be able to find a possible starter...or a at least a significant contributor...in rounds 4-7.

[PootieNunu]

2 hours ago, SCO96 said:

There's not a player in this draft worth tanking for. I don't see a big difference between Carolina picking in the top 5 or at 8 based on this draft class.

We've got 10 draft picks.  Our biggest need is on the defensive side of the ball. There's no reason why the Panthers wouldn't be significantly better by simply picking the best defensive player on the board (at any position) when we're on the clock. If we went all defense in the first 3 rounds we should come away with 3 starters. We should be able to find a possible starter...or a at least a significant contributor...in rounds 4-7.

Instead we will end up with one fringe starter and some guys that need to be developed with high RAS scores. Probably another RB as well. 

[jayboogieman]

19 hours ago, Growl said:

I don’t think Graham is this insane pie in the sky tier so many make him out to be. 
 

He’s a primarily run defense oriented inside guy and those guys don’t tend to go top 5, even after we spend all offseason hearing how can’t miss they are.

The Panthers need run stoppers in the worst way, just like pass rushers, so if he's there they might want to sprint up to the podium to make the pick.

[Mother Grabber]

DL or GTFO

[kungfoodude]

8 hours ago, hepcat said:

It’s this time of year where the debate about winning those meaningless late season games is a real conversation. I’m glad they started to figure out how to close out a game but it also comes at the price of an elite player. Hopefully one of elite defensive players drops and Morgan isn’t too dense to pick one of them

This draft is light on elite players. There is no real debate, TBH.

[Shocker]

I am going to crystal ball this and say Hunter will be available at #8.  Will we take him is a bigger question 

[DaveThePanther2008]

On 2/5/2025 at 1:36 AM, tukafan21 said:

lol, didn't remember that Biakabutuka was the 8th pick for us (for some reason if you asked me before, I always thought he wast eh 6th pick in the draft).

Would be perfect symmetry for me for us to have drafted my favorite player from my favorite school growing up in Biakabutuka, to now draft the best player from the school I graduated from with T-Mac all these years later.

Should have taken Eddie George. 

[MHS831]

On 2/4/2025 at 12:51 PM, NAS said:

Give me Jalon Walker and Jack Sawyer in first two rounds and I'm happy 

Jihad Campbell of Alabama is a similar player to Jalon Walker, if I am reading things correctly.  Built like an edge, can also play ILB. Campbell is projecting in the second round but his stock has been rising--Micah Parsons effect...

To me, this ALLOWS you to take a Jack Sawyer or a Landon Jackson--imagine an ILB who can move to the edge on some downs, allowing the strong side edge to move inside to the 5 Tech with another edge at the 9 technique.  You would move Sawyer to the five, move Walker to the nine...  The QB senses pressure on that side, so he would have to trade the TE or move a back to that side--mismatches. Or he calls a hot route and throws in that direction, but Walker, from the 9 technique, drops into coverage--lotta things you can do with a player like that.

 

[SCO96]

1 hour ago, MHS831 said:

Jihad Campbell of Alabama is a similar player to Jalon Walker, if I am reading things correctly.  Built like an edge, can also play ILB. Campbell is projecting in the second round but his stock has been rising--Micah Parsons effect...

To me, this ALLOWS you to take a Jack Sawyer or a Landon Jackson--imagine an ILB who can move to the edge on some downs, allowing the strong side edge to move inside to the 5 Tech with another edge at the 9 technique.  You would move Sawyer to the five, move Walker to the nine...  The QB senses pressure on that side, so he would have to trade the TE or move a back to that side--mismatches. Or he calls a hot route and throws in that direction, but Walker, from the 9 technique, drops into coverage--lotta things you can do with a player like that.

 

Anytime you can draft a versatile defensive player its always a positive. Back in the 90's the Cowboys would take S Darren Woodson and move him all over the field. Sometimes he'd be at S; sometimes he'd play the slot; and sometimes he'd be a Dime or Nickel LB.

I've seen some d-lineman who were almost equally affective playing DE or DT. It never hurts to have a LB on can play in a 3 point stance or a lineman who you can standup or have him drop into coverage.

You can only come up with exotic schemes like that if you have the right players and a coaching staff that know how to make the best use of their talents.

[NAS]

25 minutes ago, SCO96 said:

Anytime you can draft a versatile defensive player its always a positive. Back in the 90's the Cowboys would take S Darren Woodson and move him all over the field. Sometimes he'd be at S; sometimes he'd play the slot; and sometimes he'd be a Dime or Nickel LB.

I've seen some d-lineman who were almost equally affective playing DE or DT. It never hurts to have a LB on can play in a 3 point stance or a lineman who you can standup or have him drop into coverage.

You can only come up with exotic schemes like that if you have the right players and a coaching staff that know how to make the best use of their talents.

I feel like this was supposed to be our approach with someone like Jeremy Chinn but it didn't seem to work in the current scheme.  that leads me to believe they may want players who are elite at a specific position rather than good in multiple. 

[MHS831]

29 minutes ago, NAS said:

I feel like this was supposed to be our approach with someone like Jeremy Chinn but it didn't seem to work in the current scheme.  that leads me to believe they may want players who are elite at a specific position rather than good in multiple. 

Yeah, this made me think a bit.  I don't know if the Safety-LB-big nickel issue would be the same as an ILB/Edge issue-but if this is a coach's creativity issue, maybe so. It seems there are those coaches that pioneer and innovate and there are those coaches that react to those who create. 

[kungfoodude]

19 hours ago, Shocker said:

I am going to crystal ball this and say Hunter will be available at #8.  Will we take him is a bigger question 

Travis Hunter????