Grade Our Draft From Rounds1-3

[Riverboat Ron]

(A)

Kuechly- Even though I wanted a DE or DT, getting help in the front seven is still a win. Kuechly gives us arguably the best three tackling LB's in football. Kuechly will go #1 in my IDP league draft for good reason, we'll have three Linebackers with 100+ tackle potential. I'm still concerned about DE more than DT, but management knows more about our situation than I do.

Silatolu- I loved Wharton's solid run blocking but was never that great of a pass blocker. Silatolu dominated the competition in Division II which is what you look for in non-division I players. He literally threw people down and I think I even saw him karate chop a couple of DE's. Silatolu has strength and amazing footwork and pull blocks like a mofo. I think he'll be our starting LG come August. Football is won in the trenches, building your OL and DL is critical to success in the NFL.

Overall not exactly what I wanted, but each player projects to be very good and starters come August. We still might address DE or DT in the 4th.

[iamcline]

Going with a 'C'.

Good to get players like Keuchly I suppose, but only way to give an 'A' is if the team addressed the most pressing needs...which they did not.

[Catalyst]

1st: Luke Kuechly, LB, Boston College

He wasn't my first choice - Fletcher Cox was - but he was a guy I knew we liked a lot and had watched and read up on a lot since I knew there was a good chance he was our pick. It looks like he'll play outside for us, but wherever he plays I really like the pick. He's the safest pick in this draft not named David DeCastro, IMO. Should be a Pro Bowl caliber linebacker for the next 8-10 years. Put him with Beason and James Anderson and our linebacker corp. will be sick. Only downside is it likely means the end of Thomas Davis as a Panther, but I think his knee made that choice long ago.

Grade: A

2nd: Amini Silatolu, OG, Midwestern State

Wow. I can't believe we actually took this guy. He was one of my "draft crushes" so to speak. I had him rated as the 3rd best OL in the entire draft behind Kalil and DeCastro. The Panthers never take guys that I single out after the 1st round. LOVE this pick. Silatolu is a badass motherfuger that is physical as hell, fills a need/will be a day one starter, and has Pro Bowl potential.

Grade: A+

I leave you with this video of Amini Silatolu tossing around division II defenders like small children:

[Herbert The Love Bug]

why night just say grade our draft from pick 1 to 2

[Herbert The Love Bug]

1 Luke Kuechly

2 Amini Silatolua

3 Greg Olsen

According to count dracula and the cookie monster that's 3...

according to non retarded people Greg Olsen was not drafted. derrr

[ClarkCam]

To say this was an "A" draft, is complete bull poo... Come on people, it was pretty good, so I gave it a B. Luke Keuchly was one player that I thought we might draft, but really was against it. I understand the pick, and I understand the OG pick.... But neither of these positions were dire need. Pollack could have been a stopgap solution, which many teams do, while Thomas Davis could have had another shot, and Beason and Anderson were our two studs. Not many teams even have that many good LBer's.

My point being, we drafted players that will contribute, most assuredly.... But there were other players that teams all around the league considered just as good as these guys, and we simply passed on them, even though they would have filled a need. We DESPERATELY needed help along our Dline and secondary, and we still suck ass at that position. Our offense will, once again, have to carry this team. And that's a shame. We could have really benefited our secondary, as it is now a pass oriented league. However we drafted people in other aspects of the game....

I gave it a B. Giving this draft an "A", for not addressing a single fuging need, is dumb as hell. Even if these guys are pro-bowlers, I think we should have tried to find pro-bowlers in positions that we really needed....

[carpanfan96]

First round pick is a stud LB and a need pick as well (the Panther's don't know how Beason is going to recover, and they can't count on Davis to be there for 16 games.)

second round pick is a potential stud OG who has a nasty streak and should end up starting this season.

third round pick was traded for the current starting TE.

3 starters = at least a high B+, if not an A.

I gave it an A so far.

[koolkatluke]

So many homers in this thread getting good player but not filling a need is a C in my book.

[Marguide]

Pollack could have been a stopgap solution, which many teams do, while Thomas Davis could have had another shot, and Beason and Anderson were our two studs. Not many teams even have that many good LBer's.

I gave it a B. Giving this draft an "A", for not addressing a single fuging need, is dumb as hell. Even if these guys are pro-bowlers, I think we should have tried to find pro-bowlers in positions that we really needed....

I was willing to give Pollard the benefit of the doubt, but let's be honest; the guy couldn't hold down a starting job on Indy's line despite being given numerous chances. That is a far cry from having one of our starting guard spots solidified.

And come on, we all know deep down that we cannot count on TD this year. This may allow us to use him situationally and get something out of him.

I respect your opinion, but think you are glossing over some pretty big deficiencies pre-draft.

[Zithers]

1st round: Starting LB (a need unless you're one of those people who thinks TD is gonna stay healthy)

2nd round: Starting LG (Mike Pollak and Garry WIlliams? HAHA)

3rd round: Starting TE (Greg Olsen is a major improvement on Jeff King and Dante Rosario imo)

sounds like a good draft to me

[megadeth078]

Why do people choose to forget that we had injuries on defense last season? The haters seem to think that our defense is doomed to fail because we didn't draft defense, defense, and trade up to get defense.

If Rivera is comfortable getting a LB and an OG, then let's give him the benefit of the doubt.

[koolkatluke]

No people see the IR player coming back but none are great pass rusher or add cb depth which are 2 major needs.

[rodeo]

No people see the IR player coming back but none are great pass rusher or add cb depth which are 2 major needs.

Solidifying DT will help the pass rush tremendously. CJ and Hardy/Applewhite can get to the QB just fine, the issue was that the QB could just step up into a 10 yard deep pocket because Fua was backpedalling through the secondary.

Rivera had the #1 defense in San Diego with an undrafted scrub at NT because he plays a different kind of defense. He just needs someone who can stand their ground, and Edwards returning will do fine.

CB, on the other hand, I'm extremely concerned about.

[koolkatluke]

Cj ok and I love Hardy but 6 sacks between him and Applewhite isn't something you write home about.