Rotoworld: Panthers Team Needs and Mock Draft

[gettlemanjack]

Link:

http://www.rotoworld.com/articles/cfb/53202/271/nfl-draft-needs-panthers

Rotoworld NFL expert Evan Silva did a piece on our biggest team needs then Rotoworld college and draft expert Josh Norris did a mock for us that included one each from the 3 major FL schools (Florida, FSU, Miami)...

OFFENSE

-a 6-0, 210-pound WR with a 4.41 forty and 38-inch vertical who caught for 809 yards last year and finished second in school history in career receptions and fifth in receiving yards

-a small WR with a 4.39 forty (at Pro Day) and 37-inch vertical who caught for 1,044 yds last year

-a big 6-6, 330-pound OT

-a big 6-2, 231-pound RB who was the #1 RB for an SEC team last year

DEFENSE

-a 6-3, 279-pound 4-3 DE/4-3 DT 'tweener (or ideal 3-4 DE) who led his Top 5 team with 11.0 TFL last season, in addition to 5 QB pressures and 5 passes batted down

-a 6-2, 291-pound DT who had 7 QB pressures, 15.0 TFL, and 72 tackles last year, and says he plays football "to take my anger out'" and when asked "If you could be one person for one day," he replied with: "I would be the incredible hulk"

-a 6-0, 237-pound LB who did 31 bench reps, had 140 tackles last year (10.8 per game), was named Linebacker of the Year of one of the Power 5 conferences, and comes from a school with a proud tradition of turning out great LBs

-a 6-0, 195-pound S who led his Top 5 team with 7 INT (returned for 131 yds), and had 6 passes broken up, 75 tackles and was named unanimous 1st-team All-Conference for a Power 5 Conference

-a 5-11, 185-pound CB with a 37.5 inch vertical who moved from the outside to nickel-back last year, and still led his team in INTs (4 INTs returned for 83 yds)...also had 5 passes broken up, 42 tackles

[*FreeFua*]

Most realistic mock I've seen for the Panthers yet.

I like McBride.

[nctarheel0619]

Norris’ Mock Draft

 

Round 1 (25): T Ereck Flowers, Miami - I mock this selection with gritted teeth. As Evan said, Oher and Martin are nothing more than adequate talents at best. I do not view them as upgrades. Flowers has power due to strength and frame… but I just don’t love him at this selection. However, I am not naive. I know teams and evaluators will disagree with me. Flowers is so all over the place with his movement, and it leads to balance issues. Development is needed.

 

Round 2 (57): EDGE/DL Mario Edwards, FSU - A hog molly for the lord of hog mollies, Dave Gettleman. Like last year’s second round pick Kony Ealy, Edwards is in need of major development. The Ealy selection last year showed us the team is willing to take on this kind of prospect, but will the minimal impact early on prevent them from repeating the selection? I bet the NFL likes Edwards more than those on the outside.

 

Round 3 (89): WR Tre McBride, William & Mary - I love McBride’s game. Absolutely love it, and rank him higher than many bigger name receivers. He is explosive, agile, large and willing to win in contested situations. He can be a productive player early on.

 

Round 4 (124): LB Mike Hull, Penn State - Hull is most comfortable on the inside but has experience at each spot. I’m not saying he can replace Thomas Davis, but it is time the team invests in a long term replacement. I would not be surprised if that is done earlier in the fourth-round.

 

Round 5 (161): S Chris Hackett, TCU - Hackett fit with the narrative of TCU prospects at the Combine: aggressive tape, slow or poor testing numbers. If teams focus on the second part of that sentence, which they have, Hackett would be a nice selection on the third day of the draft.

 

Round 5 (169): RB Matt Jones, Florida - The Panthers have selected running backs in the sixth round each of the last two years. Neither remains on the roster. Jones tested like a below average athlete at the Combine, but he can help on passing downs early on. He is surprisingly agile for his size.

 

Round 5 (174): WR Jamison Crowder, Duke - Crowder is a leap of faith candidate. I know he improved his results at Duke’s pro day, but the Combine showed a small receiver without athleticism to overcome the numbers. That could land him in the fifth round, or even later. I think Crowder will have success.

 

Round 6 (201): CB Justin Coleman, Tennessee - A personal favorite. Bene Benwikere surprised me by how comfortable he looked on the outside. Coleman has slot experience and is an aggressive defender.

 

Round 7 (242): DT Quayshawne Buckley, Idaho - Dwan Edwards re-signed for two years, but he’s no lock to make it to the end of that contract. Buckley is an intriguing later round upfield disruptor. ECU’s Terry Williams is another option, but his talent warrants a higher selection.

[nctarheel0619]

McBride>Hardy.  Crowder>Hardy for that matter.  

[t96]

Don't like Flowers, McBride or Hackett. The rest is fine. I just don't think Flowers' game tape warrants a 1st rounder. His measurable are off the chart but the game isn't played in underwear. I like McBride, but in the 4th. Rather have Hardy than him. Rather have Geathers than Hackett too.

[Future of the Funchise]

I want the Incredible Hulk guy. Like his style. Very Kraken-esque.

[ecu88]

McBride>Hardy. Crowder>Hardy for that matter.

Hardy > USC DBs> VT DBs> UF DBs> UNC DBs

Hardy is proven. Game film does not lie. Most underrated WR and I hope makes you eat those comparisons just so many other great DBs from the Power 5 that could not stop him or barely slow him by having him doubled with a safety over the top.

[nctarheel0619]

Hardy > USC DBs> VT DBs> UF DBs> UNC DBs

Hardy is proven. Game film does not lie. Most underrated WR and I hope makes you eat those comparisons just so many other great DBs from the Power 5 that could not stop him or barely slow him by having him doubled with a safety over the top.

 

LOL, you were in a pass happy offense.  He took the record over for another guy coming out of a pass happy offense from my Alma Mater Oklahoma.  How did that guy work out?  Oh, didn't do poo?  Yeah, Ryan Broyles was his name.  Come back down to Earth you big bad ECU fan you.  

[ecu88]

LOL, you were in a pass happy offense. He took the record over for another guy coming out of a pass happy offense from my Alma Mater Oklahoma. How did that guy work out? Oh, didn't do poo? Yeah, Ryan Broyles was his name. Come back down to Earth you big bad ECU fan you.

We shall see in three years. I will bookmark this ignorance of someone that has never watched Hardy vs top Power 5 DBs and made a fool of them. I love your thinking, it's his motor fuel.

[nctarheel0619]

We shall see in three years. I will bookmark this ignorance of someone that has never watched Hardy vs top Power 5 DBs and made a fool of them. I love your thinking, it's his motor fuel.

1428073800114.jpg

 

Sadly, I watched a bunch of ECU games this year.  I do live in North Carolina for Christ sakes.  It's hard to dictate since ECU was so pass happy the past 4 years since Riley got there.  You can bookmark it all you want, good sir.  It's just a fuging internet website.  

[Riverboat Ron]

Draft Mario Edwards and we'll have the Super Mario Bros.

[Servant of Cthululelei]

Don't like Flowers, McBride or Hackett. The rest is fine. I just don't think Flowers' game tape warrants a 1st rounder. His measurable are off the chart but the game isn't played in underwear. I like McBride, but in the 4th. Rather have Hardy than him. Rather have Geathers than Hackett too.

 

While I agree that as a fan, I always prefer picks that have great game tape for me to salivate over, I also understand why NFL teams can be so infatuated with a player's measureables.  These players are still kids.  Most drafted players are between 20 and 22.  A large number of the ones picked early may have played as few as 4-6 seasons of competitive football.  Some even fewer.  That's just not enough time to fully master all the nuances of the game.  Particularly when you factor in that many of them have had coaches that just aren't that great.  There really aren't enough quality coaches to cover 32 NFL teams, hundreds of college teams, and tens of thousands of high schools.  So from an NFL front office's perspective, they gotta believe that the coaches on THEIR staff are gonna be able to get a more polished game out of these kids, because the coaches on the NFL level are quite likely the best coaches these kids have ever had.  

 

So when a kid like Flowers shows up and puts up monster numbers while having inconsistent game tape, he's shown all these NFL scouts that he has the best physical tools you can ask for, making his ceiling much higher than guys like Fischer, for instance.  The risk is, of course, that maybe this guy will always be inconsistent on game day.  Being on the field is a whole different animal than working out in shorts.  But he's only been doing this for a few years.  The bet is that he'll improve and you'll have yourself a genuine thoroughbred to just dominate the competition. 

[t96]

Draft Mario Edwards and we'll have the Super Mario Bros.

 

The Super Mario Bros were Mario and Luigi, not Mario and Mario....

[Ruff]

Josh Norris and Evan Silva are probably the two best Draftniks there are. You might hear about McShay, Kiper, Mayock, etc, but these two are the guys who really know their poo. Also, Josh Norris is a hardcore Panthers' fan, and follows the games really closely.

To sum up: listen to what these guys say.