Panthers Mock w/Trades Scenario

[Jay Roosevelt]

A mock scenario I was playing with that has the Panthers trading up in the 2nd round and then down in the 3rd...

1st: Jaire Alexander, CB, Louisville
I think it's pretty likely we have a choice at #24 of either Jaire Alexander or Josh Jackson, assuming corner is the direction we plan to go. I feel like it has to be either a safety or corner here and of the corners that are likely to be available, I think Jaire Alexander has the most upside. He was being projected as a 2nd rounder prior to his strong combine performance, but I always did feel he was underrated due to his injury last year. He's got true #1 cover corner ability and potential.

2nd (f/IND): Justin Reid, S, Texas A&M
The first of two trades I have us making, this one to address arguably our biggest need, which is at safety. If he makes it out of the 1st round (no guarantee of that, but it's certainly possible) Justin Reid won't make it much farther down the board. If we pick him, he'll be a day-one starter at free safety and will likely be the best safety this team has had since at least Mike Minter and probably better. Reid is a complete safety who doesn't have any real holes in his game. He's solid in coverage, good against the run, and is rarely out of position. I honestly wouldn't be surprised - or upset - if we take him in the 1st round, but the goal here is to try and envision a scenario where we can address both corner and safety early-on.

3rd (f/ARZ): Royce Freeman, RB, Oregon
Another trade gives us this pick. I'd love to have Nick Chubb, but I have a feeling we'd have to take him no later than our 2nd rounder and in this scenario we trade up for Justin Reid. That said, Royce Freeman is a solid fallback option that should be available later than Chubb. Freeman has shown the ability at Oregon to make something out of nothing while running behind a less than stellar line and would be a solid pick in the 3rd round.

4th: TRADED TO CLEVELAND FOR Andy Lee

4th (f/ARZ): Adam Brenneman, TE, UMass
I'm not a big fan of this TE class and wouldn't touch any TE in this draft before the 3rd round, but one player I do like is Adam Brenneman from UMass. I honestly feel like any team needing help at TE would be better off taking Brenneman in the 3rd or 4th round than taking one of the players projected to go earlier. You let this guy play alongside Greg Olsen for a year or two and develop and you might just have a big-time player to take over once Greg heads for the broadcast booth.

5th: Justin Lawler, DE, SMU
We've got some good veteran pass rushers, but beyond Daeshon Hall (who is at best an unknown heading into camp this year) we need some young players to develop, but who can also contribute early as part of the rotation. SMU's Justin Lawler is that kind of player. While he's not the raw athlete Daeshon Hall was coming out last year, he's arguably more pro-ready than Hall and I think could immediately contribute to our rotation at DE.

7th (f/BUF): Dimitri Flowers, FB, Oklahoma
Yes, I know we drafted Alex Armah last year, but he was always a project as a fullback. With Norv Turner as the new O.C. odds are he's going to want an actual traditional blocking fullback. Oklahoma's Dimitri Flowers is just that and I don't mean as a conversion project. if he's still available in the 7th round, he'd be a great addition.

7th: Rod Taylor, OT/OG, Ole' Miss
Ideally we'd address the OL earlier than this, but the fact is we don't have enough picks to address all our needs and even if we did, the odds of finding another Andrew Norwell in the late rounds or as an UDFA are slim to none. Still, we do need OL depth and Rod Taylor of Ole' Miss can play both guard and tackle.

TRADE SUMMARY:

1) Panthers trade up, sending 2nd, 3rd, and 6th round picks (#55, #85, and #197 overall) to the Colts for their 2nd round pick (#37 overall) in order to take Justin Reid, S, Texas A&M ahead of the safety-needy Bucaneers. This seems like a good spot as the Colts have back-to-back picks at #36 and #37 and also pick right before the Bucs, who are possibly even worse off at safety than we are, believe it or not. If not the Colts, I'm sure some team in this range would be willing to move down and pick up a few extra picks.

2) Panthers trade down, sending their original 3rd round pick (#88 overall) to the Cardinals for Arizona's 3rd and 4th round picks (#112 & #134 overall) and take Royce Freeman, RB, Oregon while recouping a 4th round pick they lacked due to the Andy Lee trade with the Browns in 2016. I have us trading with Arizona, but this could really be any team toward the end of the 3rd round that is looking to move up. Basically, we give them our original 3rd rounder in exchange for their late 3rd rounder and a late 4th rounder.

[Camp Fodder]

If we got Reid in the 2nd I would be ecstatic 

[t96]

Unlikely we go CB in the first. Possible, but unlikely a CB is BPA at 24. 

[Eazy-E]

Alexander just doesn't fit the mold of a corner the Panthers would typically go for.

[Seoul_Panther]

I agree with OP that Reid won't last to the bottom of the 2nd. But, I might be willing to risk it and take Bates instead as an alternative to trading up. I also think Jackson is a better fit and superior player than Alexander. If the CB isn't there and theyre sold on Reid i would be happy with a slight reach to fill an obvious need.

[The Lone Panther]

With the signings of Cockrell & Gunter, and with the current corners already on the roster (Bradberry, Cole, Corn, Munneryln and Seymour) I just don't see us using our first pick on a CB.  IMO, it will be either a TE, DE or S.  BPA out of the three. 

LB is a position we need to look at as well. Davis retiring after this season and no real depth outside out the starting three with the exception of Mayo. 

[The Righteous Troll]

Adam Brenneman retired earlier this month.

 

 

[Cpt slay a ho]

Cb is still a need until the pass defense isn’t top 10 worst each year, along with safety. So far everyone in the secondary is expendable 

[TheSpecialJuan]

3 minutes ago, The Righteous Troll said:

Adam Brenneman retired earlier this month.

 

 

haha

[jumpman910]

1 hour ago, Eazy-E said:

Alexander just doesn't fit the mold of a corner the Panthers would typically go for.

Which is part of the problem. Passing on a guy who can play press man and zone because he's two inches too short.

[Bj-Monster23]

5 hours ago, Eazy-E said:

Alexander just doesn't fit the mold of a corner the Panthers would typically go for.

He doesn’t fit the mold but he has the coverage ability because the tape says he is a great athlete who has the ability to backpedal and mirror his receivers. He also has the recovery speed to make Int’s or get PBU’s late in the play. The way he plays his game reminds me of a slightly shorter version of Marshon Lattimore. 

[Daddy_Uncle]

I would take a safety, OG, or TE before taking a CB. I honestly think we are looking pretty solid at corner and I'm sure we will grab a veteran that is a preseason cut from someone

[JawnyBlaze]

I'd be very happy with that draft, but I'd probably prefer Jackson to Alexander in the 1st and maaaaaybe Penny over Freeman but not sure.  Otherwise, solid A

[tiger7_88]

6 hours ago, Jay Roosevelt said:

7th (f/BUF): Dimitri Flowers, FB, Oklahoma
Yes, I know we drafted Alex Armah last year, but he was always a project as a fullback. With Norv Turner as the new O.C. odds are he's going to want an actual traditional blocking fullback. Oklahoma's Dimitri Flowers is just that and I don't mean as a conversion project. if he's still available in the 7th round, he'd be a great addition.

Alex Armah is 6-2/255, a good blocker, and can catch out of the backfield.

I don't understand this pick in the least.  So by "traditional blocking fullback" you want to replace a guy who can block AND catch and spend a draft pick on a guy who can just block?

"Alex Armah can do all the things required of a fullback but we need to cut him and use another draft pick to pick a fullback that better fits my fullback-sensibilities!"

This draft is horrendous, by the way.  Except for Justin Reid (who is out of STANFORD, by the way, not Tex A&M... on top of the fact that you picked a player who retired due to injury as well, so way to do your research), its just horror all the way down the line.