CardiacCats Top 5 Players on the Panthers Draftboard - V. 2.0

[CardiacCats]

Round 2 of this and there are major shakeups after today's loss. It's obvious are run defense is pathetic, but there's a kid that I've been watching all week that will put a lot of smiles on your faces, he completely fits on our defense where we're weakest. From not even making the cut last week, I have him at #1 on the second list.

Biggest Needs: DT, CB, OLB, RT, WR

I've moved defensive tackle all the way up to #1 as Michael Turner made us look silly today, as well as Matt Ryan. We're so weak at DT it's almost scary. CB is at number two especially after I saw Munnerlyn look pitiful when Hardy smashed Ryan today but Munnerlyn still allowed Douglas to come up with that catch on the side lines, should have never happened. Out outside linebackers missed so many tackles today, it's almost funny to think that they're only our third biggest need. Byron Bell was also bad today, but it's hard to fault the kid considering he's an undrafted rookie from New Mexico playin in an environment like that. Naane is starting to look better so we can put WR at rest for now since there are way bigger needs on defense.

This week's prediction is that we will be picking in the 5-10 range.

1) Alamenda Ta'amu, NT/DT, Washington, Senior - 6'3" 337 lbs

2010 stats: 39 tackles, 1.5 sacks

2011 stats (so far): 18 tackles, 1.5 sacks

This guy fits what we need in a nut shell, he's huge and his strength is stopping the run. Considering Matt Forte, Maurice Jones-Drew, and Michael Turner all had their best games of the year respectively against our defense, this guy sounds good so far. He's great at eating up double teams allowing other players to make a play, if you think CJ and Hardy are good right now this guy would make them all the better. He would be the last piece to our defensive line to really make them elite. Even better, the guy is (right now anyways) projected to be a mid-to late first round pick in the draft so if we penciled him in as our man we could even trade back possibly, add that third round pick we're missing, and still get our guy. He was great last night against Colorado when he rounded up 5 tackles and 2 for a loss, again, I really like this kid.

2) Vontaze Burfict, LB, Arizona State, Junior - 6'3" 250 lbs

2010 stats: 89 tackles, 2 FF

2011 stats (thus far): 36 tackles, 4 sacks, 1 INT

This is another guy that would really help us out and should be available when we pick, there are cautions with him though. First off, he's been an MLB at Arizona State, the kid is incredibly talented and was one of the top players coming out of high school a few years back, but learning a new position certainly isn't easy (worst case scenario we move Beason back to the outside, but we could talk about this more if we took him). Another concern is discipline problems as everytime I watch him play he seems to draw all kinds of personal foul penalties - and this team certainly has really struggled with bone-headed penalties this season. He's still an incredible talent though as he has incredible size and runs about a 4.6. He's a very well rounded player and even fought through an ankle injury in the Sun Devils game against Missouri this year.

[dc6738549]

I seriously hate the front seven prospects this year. The one front seven prospect in my top 15 overall is Coples whose a DE which we don't need. After the top 15 there are a lot of solid LBs and the CB draft is strong overall. If we end up with like the 5th overall pick and can't get a team like the Falcons did last year to mortgage their draft I don't know how we pass on an elite prospect like Blackmon or Kalil to reach on a defensive player even though we sorely need to improve the defense.

[FugginPoo]

Brown is suppose to be ideal for a 3-4, wouldn't surprise me if Rivera wants to transition to that.

[FugginPoo]

I seriously hate the front seven prospects this year. The one front seven prospect in my top 15 overall is Coples whose a DE which we don't need. After the top 15 there are a lot of solid LBs and the CB draft is strong overall. If we end up with like the 5th overall pick and can't get a team like the Falcons did last year to mortgage their draft I don't know how we pass on an elite prospect like Blackmon or Kalil to reach on a defensive player even though we sorely need to improve the defense.

If we drafted Matt Kalil, we could trade Otah for whatever DT/LB we could get that is capable starter?

Then move Bell to RG, Gross to RT to extend his career and have Kalil at LT.

Gross, Bell, Kalil(Ryan), Whartorn, Kalil(Matt) would be a pretty sick OL

[KBRed]

Don't think we'll be top 4 pick to get Kalil.

[CardiacCats]

Don't think we'll be top 4 pick to get Kalil.

I don't think we will either, he could go as high as second overall.

[KBRed]

I've seen Brandon Thompson in many mock drafts for us. We will see what happens the rest of the year.

[unicar15]

Our OL is actually playing pretty well. IDT we spend a #1 on RT. From what John Lynch was saying today it sounded like Rivera is impressed enough with Bell to stick with him for at least another year (assuming Otah doesn't pan out). So let's assume Beason is back next year and fully healthy.

LB - Beason, Anderson, Williams, FA, draft pick (if we went 1st round LB then we better get a King's ransom at our current draft position)

DT - Sure we could pick this guy out of Washington but again it brings up a situation where we would have to move down in order to be smart about the pick. However, this is another situation where you have Ron Edwards coming back and you have Fua/McClain combo with a year under their belts and hopefully improved. Either way I don't see a Ndamakong Suh in this year's draft which IMO has been the only DT worth taking in the top 10 in the last decade. The rest have been an average crop. Its almost impossible to get a rookie at DT to be a difference-maker, which is why you let McClain and Fua have a full year and training camp before you go out and spend a #1 at that position.

CB - This is a position where I could see us making a move to upgrade. Gamble is getting older and Munnerlyn is not a #1 or #2 CB in this league. Very good slot corner but not a guy I want to play the boundary or the field position long-term. But again...we have to evaluate where Hogan is and how the talent is for this position in the draft. I put it at a firm 1B for rookie position of need.

WR - Personally if we have Alshon Jeffery sitting there staring us in the face and we have the potential of having him paired with Cam Newton for the foreseable future then that is the direction I would go. If we are drafting in our current position then he is definitely the best value for the pick regardless of position, he fills a need, he becomes the future at that position instantly (learning from and then replacing Smith in the next 5 years), and he has an immediate impact on our team. I know that the offense is playing great right now but you don't make your this pick based on how they will effect your team in the immediate future. IMO if we have the chance to draft Jeffery (or Blackmon for that matter) and we pass on them for more picks (that Hurney will squander) and a guy like Ta'amu we will call Hurney a moron for YEARS to come.

[Ivan The Awesome]

Dontari Poe, DT, Memphis

Height: 6-5. Weight: 350.

I got my eyes on this guy. He could be the next Wilkison to shoot up the draft boards, if we can get him in the 2nd that would be a great addition. Spend the first on a CB or BPA, OR trade that sonova bish away.

[JawnyBlaze]

unicar15, those are pretty much my sentiments exactly.

[Lout]

Alamenda Ta'amu is very top heavy.. his weight is not distributed very well.. His legs won't give you much push on the pocket. In his highlight video, he gets pushed around, which is evidence of this. Looks like a bust waiting to happen.

Ideally, you want your NT to have a thick base.. (a big ass). No homo. He needs to be able to stand his ground, and this guy does not have it.

Vontaze Burfict is a MLB.. we don't need one.

Zach Brown would be perfect in our scheme.. not sure who said he belongs in a 3-4.. he doesn't fit that scheme at all.

Love Brandon Thompson, I watched the game against Maryland this weekend, and he was CONSTANTLY in the backfield disrupting plays. You absolutely have to double team this guy.

Jenkins belongs in the top 10-15 based on ability, but his off the field issues will make him slip to late 1st or early 2nd round.

[FugginPoo]

Think Rivera would like to switch to a 3-4?

[CardiacCats]

Really looks like we could be switiching to the 3-4 which strengthens the possibility of Burfict or Te'o. But Ta'amu would also be a perfect fit in a 3-4 too so who knows.

[SOJA]

if we do indeed switch to a 3-4 draft the kid from Arizona state......him and Beason will make a hell of an inside LB corps

Very worried about 3-4 end rushers....CJ is one. Hardy as the other?

Again this is a total crap shoot up to this point

I wouldn't mind if we waited till the second to draft a corner