Tony Pauline: Panthers like CB Will Johnson

[flagfootballcoach28]

8 minutes ago, SCO96 said:

I may be in the minority, but I don't think we need to focus on getting Bryce a #1 WR this draft. Last season we almost beat 3 playoff teams (KC, TB, Philly) in consecutive weeks with our current group of WR's. Legette and Coker should be better next year and it appears Theilen is coming back. We may able to find a FA this offseason to improve the WR core. 

On the other hand, our defense was arguably the worst in Panther history. It's got to get better or we have no chance of making the playoffs. Anything to improve the front 7 or the secondary has to be the top priority in the draft.

I'm also not  overly concerned with "draft value". If we could find a DE who could set the edge and get between 8-10 sacks in 2025 he'd be worth picking at #8, even if he had a low 1st round/high 2nd round grade entering the draft. Brian Burns just got a $30 mil per year deal and he can only do one of those things.

But what DE at #8 can set the edge AND get 8-10 sacks? I’m genuine curious who you think? For example, Pearce Jr is a pass rush specialist who isn’t an every down player because of his slight frame. He draws a lot of Brian Burns comps.  Mykel Williams lacks production/bend even though he excels at setting an edge. Those are two prospects for example, but I could say similar things about Scourton, Walker, Green, Stewart That’s my whole point of my original post. We’d be gambling at #8 if we pick an edge based on their known deficiencies. I’d rather stockpile really good players in the top 10, even if it’s not an ideal position than reach on a prospect. We can’t afford to miss on this pick. We reached on XL and Brooks. How did that work out? I’d rather take an edge in the 2nd (Landon Jackson) for example whose film is just as good, if not better than the guys I mentioned earlier and also get a blue chip player at #8. 

[SCO96]

11 minutes ago, Jackie Lee said:

After watching last night how could you do anything but take the best pass rusher possible? If one isn't there trade back and grab two and maybe one will be legit lol. It's a huge problem. I miss Monsters Inc

That's a good point. Big time pass rushers just wreck game plans for the opposing team. As someone pointed out, several rushers in this draft have low 1st round grades/high 2nd round grades. In this league you can never have too many pass rushers and defensive backs. If you could move down and pick 2 that wouldn't be a bad thing.

I just don't have enough faith in our FO to think they'd pick the right players if they traded down. I think if all of us who are replying to this thread got together to make the pick(s) we'd have as much of a chance of making solid pick(s) than the current brass.

 

Edited February 10, 2025 by SCO96

[Aussie Tank]

15 minutes ago, Jackie Lee said:

After watching last night how could you do anything but take the best pass rusher possible? If one isn't there trade back and grab two and maybe one will be legit lol. It's a huge problem. I miss Monsters Inc

Some of the best yesterday weren't 1st round picks and I don't think there will be a Jalen Carter at 8. So if Will Johnson is best player available take him.

[Jackie Lee]

5 minutes ago, SCO96 said:

That's a good point. Big time pass rushers just wreck game plans for the opposing team. As someone pointed out, several rushers in this draft have low 1st round grades/high 2nd round grades. In this league you can never have too many pass rushers and defensive backs. If you could move down and pick 2 that wouldn't be a bad thing.

I just don't have enough faith in our FO to think they'd pick the right players if they traded down. I think if all of us who are replying to this thread got together to make the pick(s) we'd have as much of a chance of making solid pick(s) than the current brass.

 

Easily, I don't think we as a group of fans would have taken XL and Brooks top 2 last year if we were on the clock. They should just do a quick poll from fans while the clock is running. They could do it from a Youtube chat stream lol. 

[SCO96]

2 minutes ago, flagfootballcoach28 said:

But what DE at #8 can set the edge AND get 8-10 sacks? I’m genuine curious who you think? For example, Pearce Jr is a pass rush specialist who isn’t an every down player because of his slight frame. He draws a lot of Brian Burns comps.  Mykel Williams lacks production/bend even though he excels at setting an edge. Those are two prospects for example, but I could say similar things about Scourton, Walker, Green, Stewart That’s my whole point of my original post. We’d be gambling at #8 if we pick an edge based on their known deficiencies. I’d rather stockpile really good players in the top 10, even if it’s not an ideal position than reach on a prospect. We can’t afford to miss on this pick. We reached on XL and Brooks. How did that work out? I’d rather take an edge in the 2nd (Landon Jackson) for example whose film is just as good, if not better than the guys I mentioned earlier and also get a blue chip player at #8. 

I was talking more from a theoretical perspective about picking a starter higher than his projected grade.

You have clearly analyzed this current draft class more than me. I have to agree that you're right about using # 8 on a blue chip player and not just a guy. If #8 came down to a blue chip DE and blue chip WR you have to take them DE. IF the only blue chip player on the board at #8 is WR I think you have to take him.

Maybe you need to be working in the front office 

[Tr3ach]

42 minutes ago, Jackie Lee said:

After watching last night how could you do anything but take the best pass rusher possible? If one isn't there trade back and grab two and maybe one will be legit lol. It's a huge problem. I miss Monsters Inc

The Eagles literally blitzed 0 times.  You get that much pressure and only send 4 every single time,  you're barely ever going to lose. 

[hepcat]

Drafting another corner in the first round is why this team continues to be garbage 

[flagfootballcoach28]

20 minutes ago, SCO96 said:

I was talking more from a theoretical perspective about picking a starter higher than his projected grade.

You have clearly analyzed this current draft class more than me. I have to agree that you're right about using # 8 on a blue chip player and not just a guy. If #8 came down to a blue chip DE and blue chip WR you have to take them DE. IF the only blue chip player on the board at #8 is WR I think you have to take him.

Maybe you need to be working in the front office 

Fair enough. Wasn’t trying to come across condescending. My fault if it sounded that way. And trust me, that would be a dream, but that’s also a dream for thousands of other guys like myself who probably have way better connections. 

[Bear Hands]

I think you gotta stay BPA with the front-7 weighted.  

But sitting at 8, knowing at least Carter, Hunter, & Ward go ahead...Sanders likely as well, and how much teams value OLs, a top defender will be there.     

It's likely going to come down to Graham, Johnson, Pearce, & J Walker.  And if a guy we label as a blue chip/all-pro ceiling is there, he's going over an edge rusher in our next board block.  You stick to the board, don't let need overtake you, get the top talent who slips.  That's what the new champs have done with Carter, Mitchell, & Nolan Smith.  They fell right into their laps and happened to fit needs.  We're positioned this year to grab a guy who slips because the crap teams ahead of us continue to make bad decisions.  So let's stop making bad decisions ourselves and reaching.  Some of our best picks fell into our laps bc other teams were busy reaching (Star, Luke, etc.)    

Round 1 is about choosing the right guy, not the right position. And overall, we drafted 21 defensive players with our last 36 draft picks.  We just need to start hitting more than missing.    

[Daddy_Uncle]

1 hour ago, Jon Snow said:

You build from the inside out. If they fix the front 7 then sure, throw away another top 10 pick on a CB. But until that happens it should be DL if there is one. 

What if they build the inside through free agency like they did the offense last offseason?

[tukafan21]

T-Mac, Graham, Johnson

If none of them fall to us, trade back

[SCO96]

Take a look at the below Eagle draft classes since 2020. Compare those classes to ours. This is the reason why they're at the top of the NFL and were floundering at the bottom of it. They are killing it in the first 3 rounds of the draft. The same cannot be said for our woeful Panthers.

Edited February 10, 2025 by SCO96

[frankw]

If we draft a corner over a pass rusher at 8 after what the Eagles just showed the rest of the league by embarrassing a team previously considered to be a modern dynasty then I will lose pretty much any faith I had left in Dan Morgan panning out as GM.

[CPF4LIFE]

53 minutes ago, flagfootballcoach28 said:

But what DE at #8 can set the edge AND get 8-10 sacks? I’m genuine curious who you think? For example, Pearce Jr is a pass rush specialist who isn’t an every down player because of his slight frame. He draws a lot of Brian Burns comps.  Mykel Williams lacks production/bend even though he excels at setting an edge. Those are two prospects for example, but I could say similar things about Scourton, Walker, Green, Stewart That’s my whole point of my original post. We’d be gambling at #8 if we pick an edge based on their known deficiencies. I’d rather stockpile really good players in the top 10, even if it’s not an ideal position than reach on a prospect. We can’t afford to miss on this pick. We reached on XL and Brooks. How did that work out? I’d rather take an edge in the 2nd (Landon Jackson) for example whose film is just as good, if not better than the guys I mentioned earlier and also get a blue chip player at #8. 

Landon jackson wont make it to our pick in the second. Thats the problem with waiting.