2017 Panthers Mock Draft (Rounds 1-3) - Panthers Wait Until Second Round For A RB

[Ace_Aladdin]

3 hours ago, TylerVagyler said:

Adams will make 10x the impact of any OT in this draft class. I hope we sign a veteran tackle in free agency. 

I have a feeling Gettleman will go back to his old ways and sign a handful of FAs to fill our immediate needs which will allow him to go BPA in the draft. If that's the case, Adams could be the guy.

 

BPA fournette 

[chknwing]

Carolina is gonna trade down with a team trying to get LB/S Jabrill Peppers.  I say its with Baltimore.  Carolina picks up Baltimores 2nd round pick + a 5th or 6th, fugs over the LB needy Saints at 11.  Carolinas drafts OT Ryan Ramzck at 16.  Draft S Justin Evans & DE Solomon Thomas in the 2nd.  Superbowl.

[PantherWake]

To me Adams reminds me of Reshad Jones from the Dolphins

[CWORS]

I can go for those picks

[d-dave]

Nice work @Saca312.  I don't have the brain power to dive that deep on the draft.  

While the pre-draft stuff is a lot of fun, there is always so much that goes into it, what's going to be the most interesting thing for me is draft storylines of the various players.  You have the combine, pro-days, all start games, etc.  Then you have the dirt digging.  It's going to be very, very interesting to see if we see another Greg Hardy situation come around.

Also, let's try not to think of the draft as where we get instant starters.  Sure, I'd love to get a guy who can be a 10 year/top 10 at his position player.  We just don't know how they will turn out.  On one hand, the idea of using FA to fill a roster while using the draft as a way to improve the team's talent isn't the worst idea.  For ever rookie all star, how many over drafted duds were taken?

[RoaringRiot]

Nice post, man. I can buy it. Although I'm starting out as the leader of the Berry Bandwagon. 

[uscgamecocks]

Sign me up. This would be an excellent result.  

Then use the middle round picks (comp 3 - 5) to build depth along both lines.  Priority on DE and OT.  And use that cap space to bring in a couple starters along the lines.  Would patch up the most glaring holes on the roster outside of OC.

[Saca312]

6 hours ago, iamhubby1 said:

 

The thing is. Do you want to trust the back end of your Secondary...to a rookie? What if we get a solid Vet SS in FA. Would you consider that a better move? Then we have one less need at 8, and a Vet SS to control that Secondary to boot.

One could argue we need youth among our secondary. Jamal Adams is that type of guy who'll be able to fit in any secondary and lead out.

But of course, if we can get a solid vet SS, I'd much rather get a DE, or maybe someone could sell me on Fournette (whose draft stock may fall due to his injury) then.

But this mock was made not assuming we'd make any moves in FA.

[tiger7_88]

10 hours ago, Saca312 said:

The Panthers have finished off their season with a very, very dismal 6-10 record. Everything from injuries, coaching, and close games (6 decided by a FG or less - let that sink in) made the difference between a 12-4 record, and a 6-10.

Thankfully, the team gets to enjoy a nice break from the NFL for a time of reflection, healing, and training this off-season. After such a soul-crushing season coming from a devastating Superbowl loss, the Panthers should be ready to work hard and prove to the world they will be back next season.

The Panthers will have their first top 10 pick since Dave Gettleman became GM of the Panthers. Last time the Panthers even had a pick in the 10s, DT Star Lotulelei was selected at the 14th. We all know how important he is for this D-line. 

In fact, every other pick Gettleman has had was 25 or below. These picks include: WR Kelvin Benjamin (pick 28), LB Shaq Thompson (pick 25), and DT Vernon Butler (pick 31). All these picks were extremely low in the draft. 

The Panthers have the 8th pick of the NFL draft - with the Bengals winning and Chargers losing - and Gettleman gets to prove he's a competent first round drafter with his 2nd ever top 20 pick out of 5 drafts so far.

As always, free agency and draft talks begin early, and fans everywhere search relentlessly for players they believe will help bolster the team. Predicting the moves of their football team is commonly practiced, and mocks are generated from such. 

Here's some picks I believe will immediately help the team with analysis to go with it:

Round 1 Pick 8 - S Jamal Adams

Some of you are probably wondering, "Why is he going defense? What about offensive tackle/runningback; heck Leonard Fournette is likely available."

Well, let me tell you a bit about this Jamal Adams guy first.

This guy is a man among boys. He's a physical, athletic 6'1 213lb strong safety that'll make you pay. His instincts are amazing; he's always appears to be one step ahead of his opponent. He has the mental stronghold to lead out any secondary he's thrown into, making sure everyone knows their part. He also brings about a swagger and confidence with him - he knows he's good. He's fantastic in run support, and he's a sure tackler. He's got scary good awareness, and capable of helping out anywhere in the secondary.

In fact, the only reason he doesn't have much interceptions this season is due to his coach telling him to dive into a role as a shut-down player from his play-making zone scheme.

What you get is perhaps one of the most solid strong safeties from the draft in a while

Here's a peek at what kind of player we're looking at.

1. He's Luke Kuechly; Well, Mentally

In this certain segment, Jamal Adams sniffs out a screen play. He analyzes what's going on in front of him, and follows the screen. He's able to force the QB to find another option, leading to a likely play by the defense.

His awareness and mental fortitude is highlighted here. 

He's able to take charge with his instincts and make a play. He impacted the offense, and shows he has the football IQ to be a fantastic safety in the NFL. He's basically the Luke Kuechly of the secondary.

2. He's A Roaring Train - He Rams Into His Victims

To put it frankly, Jamal Adams is a tackling machine.

Jamal Adams has 76 tackles for the 2016 LSU season - 7.5 for a loss and 1 sack - and he's one heck of a tackler.

In the above GIF, Jamal Adams is shown to come up straight to the receiver, and lay him out. Like heck, he's Tre Boston as a tackler; except he's consistently like this. He makes the plays, and hits his guy hard. For a guy his size, he's extremely physical and athletic. 

This consistency from the tackling aspect of our safeties is sorely needed. Jamal Adams provides that.

3. He's Solid In Coverage - Even Against The Shiftiest of Receivers

Jamal Adams sticks with his man. He demonstrates solid technique in this play, and doesn't fall for the quick moves from this particular receiver. He's playing in the slot, and virtually sticks to his guy every step of the way.

When was the last time we saw Tre Boston look this good in coverage? Never? Precisely the point.

He's got fantastic instincts and coverage ability. He makes sure he's stuck like glue on his player, and prevents that player from making a play. He's also been asked to shut down some of college's premier tight ends this season, and has been successful. 

This is an immediate fix to our tight end coverage, which isn't the best this season. Jamal Adams is a player.

How Does He Fit on the Panthers?

In case you were living under a rock, the Panthers don't exactly have a starting strong safety on the roster. The experiment with S Kurt Coleman in the SS spot was a failure, and Tre Boston - bless his heart - is either really bad, or really good. We do not have solidity in that area.

Enter in SS Jamal Adams. 

He fits right in our blatant hole at SS, and will be working great for our young secondary. He's got fantastic leadership qualities, and is a fantastic communicator. He's got the physical traits and the intelligence to make an immediate day-one impact. 

In the first Atlanta game this season, a key of note was the lack of communication in the secondary. With a Jamal Adams pick, we get a sure safety that'll fit in just nicely, and make sure everyone is on the same page.

He'll basically be as effective of a pick as Luke Kuechly was - an instant leader on a team that desperately needs one in the secondary.

Nice scouting reports: http://draftwire.usatoday.com/2016/11/27/scouting-report-jamal-adams-s-lsu/, https://walterfootball.com/draft2017S.php, http://draftwire.usatoday.com/2016/05/12/watch-for-jamal-adams-in-2017/ - got GIFs from here.

Alternate choice: DE Derek Barnett

Round 2 Pick 39 - RB D'onta Foreman

 

This is Jonathan Stewart. 

Literally, he plays just like him.

At 6'1, 249lbs, Foreman is one heck of a beast. He's a physical threat, elusive, and has a ton of power and strength to him. He breaks tackles, he changes direction in one quick motion, and he's elusive. He's fantastic at pass-blocking - a trait every runningback behind Stewart doesn't possess - and is just one great power back.

One of his defining traits is his ability as a breakaway runner. He's one of the best when it comes to hitting that 3rd gear. He gets to breakaway speed in a blink of an eye, and leaves defenders in the dust. He's a real talent in a deep runningback draft.

Don't believe me? Check this out:

1. He's Got Power - A Lot Of It

He's strong.

In this play, he's churns through about, say, 5 or 6 defenders to smash his way into a touchdown. He's got a ton of power, and earns the tough yards in this situation. He uses his body to just bash his way into the endzone, using every ounce of strength he has in his tank.

He's one tough guy.

His ability to smash through tacklers and get the hard yard just shows why he looks so much like Stewart. Like Stewart, he earns the hard yards. He makes defenders pay with how hard of a runner he is. 

He's the perfect heir to Stewart - and a great runningback to pair with.

Alternates: DE Solomon Thomas, TE David Njoku

2. He switches pace well - looks for the perfect opportunity

In this particular replay, D'onta Foreman is able to wait for a couple of blocks to accumulate before hitting that high gear. He sidesteps while the play develops, then just runs hard. He switches from a little skitter to full blown speed in a blink of an eye. He turns this play into an easy first down, and shows tremendous speed.

He is just fantastic as a runner. 

He leaves behind defenders in the dust when he hits that high gear, and just keeps on going. Patience, vision, and explosiveness - traits that define who D'onta Foreman is.

3. Breaking Tackles + Breakaway Speed = This

He should've been stop short for a 3rd down and 1.

As you can see, that did not happen.

D'onta Foreman rams into the defender before the 3rd down marker, then breaks a couple tackles here and there for a huge gain. His tremendous breakaway speed is evident with how he hits that fast stride and just runs his way for a huge gain. 

He's just one heck of a power back. 

His elusiveness, tackle-breaking ability, and tremendous breakaway speed is what makes him one of the most underrated backs in college. He's a gem in a draft class full of studs. Grabbing him would turn out as one of the best value picks from this draft with his ability.

How Does He Fit on the Panthers?

It's pretty obvious - to become the heir of Jonathan Stewart

First of all, he'll easily slip in a role as a switch-up back for J-Stew on plays and keep Stew's legs fresh. He's a nice player to pair with Stewart, and the drop-off in talent will be minimal.

He's a tough, power runner, and he is a fantastic pass-blocker.

If J-Stew were to get injured again, we'd have a competent backup ready to help lead the reins. We won't have to worry about o-line deficiencies/running with him on the field. He'd be an instant upgrade - and obvious heir - for the runningback sector of the depth chart.

He's a player the Panthers have to hit on this draft. He's too good of a player to pass up at the second round.

Round 3 Pick 71 - TE Jordan Leggett

Sorry, won't post GIFs for this guy, but he's still a solid player.

TE Jordan Leggett is just your solid prospect in a deep class. He's been Deshaun Watson's reliable, go-to tight end in the Clemson offense. He's great at blocking, and he's great at catching. He has good hands to be a fantastic every down TE, and would be a fantastic compliment to Olsen in the offense.

He's great at catching fast balls - type of throw Cam Newton loves - and has good hands. He does everything right in an offense loaded with talent.

As a third rounder, we'd get a day one starting 2nd TE this offense desperately needs. A solid player, reliable, and a good blocker.

How He Fits On The Panthers

Everyone knows we don't really have a solid 2nd TE; and have no one behind Greg Olsen.

Enter in Jordan Leggett; Mr. Reliable

A solid TE with a ton of upside, Leggett would be able to hone on his abilities and learn from behind one of the greatest TEs in the game. He'll be able to play along side him as a 2nd TE option for Cam, and become another option as a reliable, 3rd down catcher. He'll also improve the blocking aspect in that area, and make a great impact.

If Greg Olsen were to ever get hurt (God forbid), he'd be able to easily fill in his role as a reliable catcher. He's able to make the catches on the fast ball, and exploit any defensive coverage necessary. He's a playmaker, and a reliable option this offense needs.

 

 

Gimme gimme gimme.

[Mr. Scot]

Pretty solid post, Sacs.

[Riverboat Ron]

7 hours ago, iamhubby1 said:

 

I am not trying to down-play your enthusiasm for Hooker. But...We do have Coleman at FS. Is there really a reason to draft a FS? Even if he is the "Best" FS prospect in recent memory

I agree 100%, Coleman was great at FS, poor at SS but it wouldn't surprise me if Gettleman goes BPA and figures they would be interchangeable. You also wonder if Gettleman is in "win now" mode and grab a need instead of looking at a FS who could lock down the field for 10+ years.

 

That being said I think Coleman is an above average FS that paired with Adams at SS could be great again. It's just hard to predict this early. Hooker just reminds me a lot of Ed Reed coming out of Miami.

 

Also seems like we have a hard-on for Ohio State safeties. Coleman is an alum and we would've taken Vonn Bell last year had the Saints not jumped us.

[Cyberjag]

Doubt Adams is available when we draft, but I would be good with the first two picks.  If they do fall that way, though, expect Gettleman to trade all remaining picks to move up and select a couple of project tackles.  As much as we need a TE to replace Olsen, he looks like he can go a few more years easy.

[GamecockSmitty4]

If Derek Barnett is unavailable with our first pick I would be extremely happy with this draft....which means it will never happen.

[CarolinaSamurai]

6 hours ago, Icebox said:

Read more closely.

The first is saying that Adams WILL be there when we pick.

But, by all means, continue to dissemble and whine that people make comments you don't like. I mean... who would expect people to have different opinions on a message board, of all places!!!! Maybe you'll get some pie out of it.

You really need some reading comprehension classes.