PFF raves about our draft. The best class in the whole draft?

[Panthers Rhule]

7 hours ago, LinvilleGorge said:

Please understand that our head of analytics as of last May is the former head of analytics for PFF. There is probably going to be a lot of praise from PFF for most of our roster moves simply because we're probably using a lot of the very same analytical metrics. And PFF sure is rooting for our success because if we keep going down our flailing path it's really going to devalue PFF's analytical system.

I didn't know about this connection so that definitely makes sense. If we do well then it will bode well for others at PFF too I think so they should definitely be rooting for us now. That's cool too though. Lot's of fans follow PFF so it could raise other's opinions about us as well. I don't care so much what others think but it could bring other benefits like people actually knowing something about our team before dissing us or maybe even dissing us less. I've always felt the Panthers were disrespected beyond just saying we're a bad team. There are historically worse teams that aren't treated as badly. 

[Tr3ach]

11 hours ago, AceMan said:

Strongly disliked last year's draft

I believe this new approach will field MUCH better results than what we've been getting

I agree.  I didn't love this draft, I would give it a B, but I was really unhappy with last years draft so it's a step in the right direction.  I feel like there was definitely more of a plan this year and I can at least see what they were trying to do with most players they picked.

[CPcavedweller]

14 hours ago, Panthers Rhule said:

This came out 6 hours ago. I watched the draft on the PFF stream and I kept adding their comments about picks here during the draft when people were still taking everything in and getting upset about some of these picks because they weren't who most people were wanting at the time and even during the draft every pick they were saying how great it was. Now in this recap they continue their praise. The host thinks all of these picks can contribute for us immediately and our team just got much better. It's a fun watch because as a panther fan, I like all of you am not used to having such praise fall upon our Panthers. There were no buts or good player but a reach, bad value nothing. It's 100% this draft rocked for Panthers. Enjoy. 

 

 

Would have rather had Golden, Loveland, or Warren but the rest of the draft I’m good with. 

[TheSpecialJuan]

https://x.com/avl_mike/status/1917904656631541872?s=46&t=xeIgh_-Vr2aKxBkBJdfnKA

[Davidson Deac II]

If PFF loved it, we are doomed. 

[rebelrouser]

15 hours ago, Captain Morgan said:

Last year was not so much but if Legette grows, and if Brooks can get healthy and stay that way, and Sanders develops, it was a good draft.  But I just feel different this year, more confidence than ever, but it's that time of the year....every fan of every time is feeling better about who they pull for.

Last year's draft sucked. I get it has just been a year but trading up after six wr's were already taken was stupid as was trading up to take an injured rb.   

[Tr3ach]

1 hour ago, Davidson Deac II said:

If PFF loved it, we are doomed. 

The Eagles started the trend of getting a pff guy to help with their drafts.  It seemed to have worked out for them.

[Prowler2k18]

Wouldn’t go that far (the Browns had a helluva draft) but it speaks to this team’s direction under Morgan/Tilis/Canales.  It’s certainly a refreshing change from the past few years.

[Bear Hands]

45 minutes ago, rebelrouser said:

Last year's draft sucked. I get it has just been a year but trading up after six wr's were already taken was stupid as was trading up to take an injured rb.   

Most of our recent drafts had a bad taste for a variety of reasons. This one is at least refreshing from a value and perception standpoint.

-Legette was ~60-80 on many big boards (and reportedly on actual team boards), not to mention passing on Ladd and DeJean for him. And we traded up!

-And then moving back and then trading up again, overpursuing Brooks when we could have landed Sainristil, Frazier, etc. Guys who were obvious fits.

-Prior year, sure we landed Bryce and felt promise, but both Mingo and DJJ felt like major reaches on capital gained from CMC. Just felt like duds even before we saw how they were shaping out. Missed out on great prospects like Tuli, Brents or Byron Young.

This year, we landed guys that just slipped from other teams reaching, tapped into the value stream that still aligned with our needs. We didn’t reach, but we stayed aggressive to pursue fits.

[LinvilleGorge]

CAROLINA PANTHERS

R1 (6) — G Ikem Ekwonu, NC State
R3 (94) — QB Matt Corral, Mississippi
R4 (120) — LB Brandon Smith, Penn State
R6 (189) — Edge Amare Barno, Virginia
R6 (199) — T Cade Mays, Tennessee
R7 (242) — CB Kalon Barnes, Baylor

Day 1: The board couldn’t have fallen much better for Carolina, with all three of the top offensive tackle prospects still on the board. The Panthers opted for the top run-blocker in the class in Ekwonu. The N.C. State tackle earned PFF run-blocking grades above 85.0 in all three of his college seasons, with grades above 90.0 in each of the last two years. It’s worth noting that the Panthers didn’t trade back to add another pick or two, given that they aren’t on the clock again until the fourth round.

Day 2: Corral wouldn’t have been a good pick in Round 1, but he provides value late on Day 2. Corral’s offense at Ole Miss made his projection to the NFL a little more difficult, as it was full of RPOs and simplistic reads. Despite the quarterback-friendly offense, Corral was consistently on time and delivered accurate throws while showing off an exceptional deep ball. Corral’s 2021 season took a nosedive midseason due to injury. His 91.1 PFF grade through Week 7 was the fourth-highest in the FBS, but that mark fell 20 grading points to 70.6 from Week 8 on.

Day 3: Smith is an athletic project, but he’s a project well worth taking at this stage of the draft. The production profile isn’t overly impressive. Smith earned PFF grades below 60.0 in each of the last two years at Penn State. But the NFL is always going to look for 6-foot-4, 250-pound linebackers who test above the 90th percentile in the 40-yard dash, broad jump and short shuttle. Now, the Panthers just need to figure out how to use him.

Draft Grade: A

 

[LinvilleGorge]

Carolina Panthers

R1 (1): QB Bryce Young, Alabama
R2 (39): WR Jonathan Mingo, Ole Miss
R3 (80): EDGE DJ Johnson, Oregon
R4 (114): G Chandler Zavala, NC State
R5 (145): S Jammie Robinson, Florida State

Day 1: Carolina moved up to No. 1 overall and secured their potential franchise quarterback. Despite concerns about his size, Young was the top QB on the PFF big board, and his 92.9 passing grade led all players at the position over the past two seasons.

Day 2: Mingo was one of the biggest risers in the pre-draft process and finds himself in Carolina to team up with top pick Bryce Young. While his production in college was spotty, he has a good blend of size and athleticism to like his fit here with the Panthers. Not to mention, he flashed often on tape between unbelievable body adjustments and clean wins at the line of scrimmage.

This is one of the bigger reaches so far based on the PFF big board, with Johnson coming in at 237th overall. The Panthers are taking a swing on Johnson’s athleticism on the edge (4.49-second 40-yard dash at 261 pounds). He’s a 24-year-old prospect who recorded fewer than 50 career pressures on 786 defensive snaps in college.

Day 3: The Panthers have invested in improving their offensive line over the last several seasons and continue to do so with Zavala here. He played just over 1,000 snaps in the FBS but earned an 86.5 PFF pass-blocking grade last season and adds some explosiveness to the interior of their offensive line.

Carolina adds another defensive back for new defensive coordinator Eviro Ejero to deploy in a deep secondary unit. Robinson’s 16.0% forced incompletion rate illustrates his playmaking ability at the catch point when targeted. He plays fast, but that sometimes results in a missed tackle, with his 7.4% missed tackle rate on the high side.

DRAFT GRADE: B+

 

[LinvilleGorge]

Carolina Panthers

Round 1 (14): Edge Brian Burns, Florida State

Round 2 (37): OT Greg Little, Ole Miss

Round 3 (100): QB Will Grier, West Virginia

Round 4 (115): Edge Christian Miller, Alabama

Round 5 (154): RB Jordan Scarlett, Florida

Round 6 (212): OT Dennis Daley, South Carolina

Round 7 (237): WR Terry Godwin, Georgia

Day 1: 

A favorite of PFF Senior Content & Strategy Analyst Austin Gayle’s, Florida State edge defender Brian Burns is special. He’s a freakish athlete with great bend that can win outside with the best of them. He’s also a very, very smart player that will only continue to get better at the next level. He also earned a career-high 87.2 overall grade in 2018.

“Burns is much more refined [than Leonard Floyd] in terms of using his hands… So, with the upward trajectory of his career, he’s the kind of guy I bet on to continue to succeed at the NFL level.” – Pro Football Focus’ Lead Draft Analyst Mike Renner

Day 2:

Ole Miss offensive tackle Greg Little and West Virginia signal-caller Will Grier were both top-35 overall players for PFF in this year’s draft. Over the past two seasons, Little allowed all of 26 total pressures on 993 pass-blocking snaps. Grier tied Drew Lock for the NCAA lead with 33 big-time throws and has the second-best best passing grade behind Kyler Murray. Grier won’t start for Carolina, but he’s a capable backup that has a good chance of starting for someone in the NFL in the future.

Day 3:

Carolina’s first two picks of Day 3, former Alabama edge defender Christian Miller and Florida running back Jordan Scarlett, both offer upside if they can put it together at the next level.

Among edge defenders with at least 400 defensive snaps in 2018, Miller ranked 27th in overall grade, tied for 32nd in run-defense grade and tied for 18th in pass-rush grade. He’s a raw prospect with untapped potential having played fewer than 700 defensive snaps in his Crimson tide career.

Scarlett was suspended for the entire 2017 season, putting his future in the NFL in jeopardy. But the Florida back returned to form in 2018, earning the fourth-best rushing grade (86.4) in the 2019 class. He’s a bit of a thumper with surprising speed that should make a living forcing missed tackles in the NFL; he’s a great complement to Christian McCaffrey in Carolina.

DRAFT GRADE: EXCELLENT

 

 

[MHS831]

16 hours ago, TD alt said:

Better than what Rhule was putting out for sure.

Hold up--do we have depth at Long Snapper???? Well, do we?????

[MHS831]

1 hour ago, rebelrouser said:

Last year's draft sucked. I get it has just been a year but trading up after six wr's were already taken was stupid as was trading up to take an injured rb.   

We got a #2 WR (I think he comes around), Brooks was damaged goods at a discount but I did not like the pick--I hate drafting RBs, but the second injury was not expected, we got a pretty decent LB, a pass-catching TE with upside, and a Nickel CB.   I did not want XL or Brooks and still am critical of the picks.  I think we were smarter this year--our first three picks could have gone in round 1 in a different year.  Tex AM did Scourton no favors but he is 20---Princely might become the better player.