Athletic Mock Person one if Falcons take QB and one if they don’t

[raleigh-panther]

I am an Athletic subscriber   Below without the preface are Persons  projections 

http://Panthers 7-round mock draft, 1.0: What if the Falcons take a QB? What if they don’t? 2 scenarios

Mock A: Falcons pass on a QB; one falls to the Panthers

If Atlanta passes on a QB

PICK	PLAYER	POS	SCHOOL
8	Justin Fields	QB	Ohio State
39	Eric Stokes	CB	Georgia
73	Dyami Brown	WR	UNC
113	D'Ante Smith	OT	East Carolina
151	Tre' McKitty	TE	Georgia
193	Justin Hilliard	LB	Ohio State
222	Racey McMath	WR	LSU
226	Chris Rumph II	Edge	Duke

Round 1, No. 8, QB Justin Fields: I’m not convinced the Panthers are crazy about any of the quarterbacks in the draft other than Trevor Lawrence and Zach Wilson. But they could be re-evaluating their approach in the wake of the Watson developments, after having focused on the former Clemson star for much of the offseason. Fields looked like a franchise-changing type of talent in shredding the Clemson defense in the national semifinals. But at other times, the Georgia native was erratic as a passer. Fields has the size and athleticism to make plays outside of the pocket, and he’s likely going to crush all the physical tests Tuesday at Ohio State’s pro day. The Panthers will be in Columbus, Ohio, trying to figure out if Fields could be their guy.

Round 2, No. 39, CB Eric Stokes: The Panthers would be hard-pressed to find a faster corner than Stokes in this year’s draft. The 6-foot-1, 185-pounder smoked the 40-yard dash at Georgia’s pro day, posting times of 4.25 and 4.28 seconds. For context: Henry Ruggs’ 4.27-second clocking was the fastest time at last year’s combine, and John Ross has the combine record at 4.22 seconds. So why isn’t Stokes a first-round prospect? The Athletic’s Dane Brugler mentions a need to correct his play recognition and over-aggressiveness (resulting in nine penalties at Georgia). Still, with Stokes’ combination of size and speed, I’d grab him and trust Rhule’s assistants to coach him up.

Round 3, No. 73, WR Dyami Brown: The Panthers need another offensive tackle more than a fourth wideout. But having taken a corner in the second round, I couldn’t justify reaching for a tackle here when a talent like Brown was available. The Charlotte native thrived with Tar Heels QB Sam Howell, becoming the only player in UNC history with multiple 1,000-yard receiving seasons. Brown (6-1, 185) is a dynamic playmaker who averaged more than 20 yards a catch and had 20 touchdown receptions over the past two seasons. It’s also worth noting that Robby Anderson is a free agent in 2022.

Round 4, No. 113, OT D’Ante Smith: I didn’t realize how this mock was taking on a Carolina flavor until I saw the entire, eight-player list afterward. The 6-5, 294-pound Smith was on the Senior Bowl team coached by Rhule and his staff. And while he didn’t generate much buzz — most of the media attention that week fell on Mac Jones — you have to think the Panthers liked Smith’s quick feet (he was a high school wrestler) and versatility. Smith took some reps at guard in Mobile, but he has the look of a mid-round sleeper at tackle.

Round 5, No. 151, TE Tre McKitty: The Georgia transfer is another player who was with Rhule’s staff at the Senior Bowl. While he’s not going to run away from defenders like Kyle Pitts (more on him in a bit), McKitty made plays all week in Mobile by gaining separation and showing off dependable hands. Some scouts might get scared off by his injury history and pedestrian college numbers. But for a Panthers team that has already signed one pass-catching tight end in Dan Arnold, adding another with upside on the third day of the draft could make sense.

Round 6, No. 193, LB Justin Hilliard: The last time the Panthers drafted a linebacker from St. Xavier in Cincinnati it worked OK. Hilliard isn’t anywhere near the prospect that Luke Kuechly was, in part because of his limited playing time in a Buckeyes linebacker corps that included two Butkus Award candidates. Hilliard also dealt with several injuries, including an Achilles surgery that resulted in him returning to Columbus as a sixth-year player in 2020. But Hilliard made several big plays in the postseason, including an interception against Northwestern in the Big Ten title game and a fumble recovery versus Clemson in the national semis.

Round 6, No. 222, WR Racey McMath: Like Hilliard, McMath is a guy with an impressive skill set who didn’t get to show it off much in college. The 6-3, 224-pound wide receiver was overshadowed by Justin Jefferson and Ja’Marr Chase at LSU, where he crossed paths with Panthers offensive coordinator Joe Brady during the Tigers’ national championship season of 2019. Despite his size and speed (he’s been clocked under 4.4 seconds in the 40), McMath never took off for the Tigers, even after Chase opted out last season. Still, his speed and special-teams prowess — he was LSU’s gunner on punt coverage — make him worth a sixth-round flier.

Round 6, No. 226, Edge Chris Rumph II: Ron Rivera liked having players who were coaches’ sons (Greg Olsen), believing they had an understanding of what it takes to be successful. Rumph’s father is a former South Carolina linebacker who’s had a long coaching career. He was the Texans’ outside linebackers coach last season and was recently hired to coach the Bears’ defensive line. The younger Rumph’s 17 1/2 sacks were third on Duke’s all-time list, and his 34 tackles for loss are 10th-most in school history. Rumph (6-4, 235) is a little lean to be an every-down defensive end. But that’s not necessarily a deal-breaker in Phil Snow’s defense.

 

Mock B: Falcons take a QB; Panthers shift focus

If the Falcons take a quarterback

PICK	PLAYER	POS	SCHOOL
8	Kyle Pitts	TE	Florida
39	Christian Barmore	DT	Alabama
73	Richie Grant	S	UCF
113	Rhamondre Stevenson	RB	Oklahoma
151	Ambry Thomas	CB	Michigan
193	Shi Smith	WR	South Carolina
222	Robert Rochell	CB	Central Arkansas
226	Royce Newman	OL	Ole Miss

Round 1, No. 8, TE Kyle Pitts: Conventional wisdom says you don’t take a tight end with a top-10 pick. Well, Pitts isn’t a conventional tight end — and he might not even be available to the Panthers at No. 8. I’m figuring the Bengals will take Oregon offensive tackle Penei Sewell with the fifth pick. (I had to freelance a bit because The Draft Network simulator refused to have QBs go off the board with the first four picks, no matter how many times I tried.) The Dolphins and Lions look to be eyeing the top wideouts in Chase and Jaylen Waddle. But any of those three also could pounce on the 6-6, 240-pound Pitts. But if he’s there, the only other player I’d consider is Sewell. Line up Pitts with Christian McCaffrey, DJ Moore, David Moore and Anderson and that’s a formidable lineup of weapons for Teddy Bridgewater or whoever’s the QB.

Round 2, No. 39, DT Christian Barmore: I went down a few rabbit holes doing research for these mocks. One of the more interesting nuggets came from a 2017 recruiting notebook by PennLive: Rhule, the former Temple coach, had dipped into his Pennsylvania ties to offer Barmore, an ascending, two-star recruit in Philadelphia, at Baylor. (The same article also mentions how Rhule offered Pitts, another Philly prospect.) Barmore ended up choosing Alabama, where he didn’t emerge until halfway through his third season, when he had six sacks and two forced fumbles over the final six games of 2020. The Panthers used a first-round pick on a DT last year. But rolling out a front four of Haason Reddick, Derrick Brown, Brian Burns and Barmore — who says no?

Round 3, No. 73, S Richie Grant: I’ll concede this could be a case of Mobile bias. But Grant was the best player on the field at the Senior Bowl practices for the Rhule-coached squad. At the end of the week, Rhule said if there was one guy he’d like to coach, it would be Grant, whom he called a “football guy.” With his ability to play safety and the slot, Grant also would bring that versatility that we’ve seen is so important not just to Snow but to Rhule and Fitterer, as well. The expectation is that Jeremy Chinn will move from outside linebacker to safety to fill Tre Boston’s old spot. But some of their free-agency moves suggest the Panthers are cool with acquiring as many playmakers as they can, then figuring out where they go later.

Round 4, No. 113, RB Rhamondre Stevenson: The Panthers are interested in bringing in a bigger back to complement McCaffrey and checked in on Chris Carson before he re-signed with Seattle. Well, there aren’t many backs bigger than the 6-foot Stevenson, who weighed in at 230 at Oklahoma’s pro day this month — 20 pounds lighter than his playing weight. Stevenson is a tough, downhill runner who averaged 7.2 yards per carry in two seasons with the Sooners after transferring from junior college. He didn’t impress at Senior Bowl practices, but he would give the Panthers the short-yardage back they’ve lacked since Cam Newton was released.

Round 5, No. 151, CB Ambry Thomas: Waiting until the fifth round to take a corner isn’t ideal, especially after the Panthers waited until the fourth round last year before selecting Troy Pride Jr. But if you’re trying to find a hidden gem on the third day of the draft, there are worse places to look than a guy with tremendous speed (4.37 in the 40 at Michigan’s pro day) whose stock has dropped in part because of his decision to opt out. The 5-11 Thomas is a little shorter than the Panthers’ preferred length for their corners. But he’s a physical player who, at worst, should compete at nickel.

Round 6, No. 193, WR Shi Smith: Why would the Panthers be interested in a slot receiver after signing David Moore to a two-year deal? For starters, they don’t have much depth at receiver with Curtis Samuel leaving for Washington, meaning they’re only a turned ankle away from Moore having to shift to one of the outside spots. Plus, getting a receiver of Smith’s caliber in the sixth round is a steal. Smith (5-9, 186) is not a big dude. But he’s a sub-4.5 guy who led the Gamecocks in receiving in 2020 and racked up more than 2,200 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns over his four-year career.

Round 6, No. 222, CB Robert Rochell: The former Louisiana prep track star earned a spot on The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman’s annual freaks list — one spot ahead of Penn State linebacker Micah Parsons. Rochell is a fast-twitched athlete with length (6-1, 197) and speed. What he doesn’t have is polish, after arriving at Central Arkansas as a skinny, 160-pound receiver. But he blossomed into an instinctive playmaker, finishing with 10 career interceptions and 38 pass breakups.

Round 6, No. 226, OL Royce Newman: I can already envision your wrath in the comments section after I waited until late in the sixth round to take an offensive tackle. But once I went all-in with Pitts, the best option in the second round was North Dakota State’s Dillon Radunz. And I wasn’t going to reach with the 39th pick. Because we all know what happened when the Panthers reached for an OT with the 37th pick in 2019, which also was the last time (and only time) Carolina drafted an Ole Miss tackle. But the stakes are a little different with the 226th pick. And while I’m not saying Newman is going to become the next Jordan Gross, he has — wait for it — versatility(!), having started at left guard and right tackle for the Rebels. Newman also took snaps at center at Ole Miss’ pro day. OK, on to your comments.

 

 

 

[Mr. Scot]

Both mocks have us taking only a single offensive lineman, and one has it not being until the 7th round.

Yikes!

[travisura]

I'm not sure I see us taking multiple WRs/RBs and while only taking one OL player in each draft.

[Mage]

Penei Sewell at #8 is a dream.  I'd be so so happy.

[raleigh-panther]

32 minutes ago, Mr. Scot said:

Both mocks have us taking only a single offensive lineman, and one has it not being until the 7th round.

Yikes!

It’s Joe. Lol

lot of times I share mocks for the write ups of players many on the board do not know 

fields has his issues but he is a winner and he is tough.  That hit  he took by Clemson and got up wow.  It probably affected him in the championship game 

as for Person, as the saying goes ‘even a blind squirrel finds an acorn now and again’

[Mr. Scot]

34 minutes ago, Mage said:

Penei Sewell at #8 is a dream.  I'd be so so happy.

I could be on board with that.

Still don't think he drops past Cincinnati though.

[bythenbrs]

13 minutes ago, Mr. Scot said:

I could be on board with that.

Still don't think he drops past Cincinnati though.

Slater could be 1B to Sewell 1A.  If Sewell slips past Cincy, take him.  If not, take Slater at 8 and don't try to be cute by trading down and expecting him to be there... just because someone will say he can be had later in the first round.  YMMV.

Edited March 29, 2021 by bythenbrs

[45catfan]

Eh, both mocks have their share of head-scratchers. Not shocking, you said this was form Joe Persons, correct? Despite missing out on the QB, I think mock B is the better of the two.  Neither are great.

[micnificent28]

Pitts is my pick if not a qb... He is a generational talent.

[weyco2000]

[cookinbrak]

Joe person- "One day, I tied both my shoes. Next day, I tied both my shoes together!! I love crack!!!"

 

[TheSpecialJuan]

12 hours ago, raleigh-panther said:

I am an Athletic subscriber   Below without the preface are Persons  projections 

http://Panthers 7-round mock draft, 1.0: What if the Falcons take a QB? What if they don’t? 2 scenarios

Mock A: Falcons pass on a QB; one falls to the Panthers

If Atlanta passes on a QB

PICK	PLAYER	POS	SCHOOL
8	Justin Fields	QB	Ohio State
39	Eric Stokes	CB	Georgia
73	Dyami Brown	WR	UNC
113	D'Ante Smith	OT	East Carolina
151	Tre' McKitty	TE	Georgia
193	Justin Hilliard	LB	Ohio State
222	Racey McMath	WR	LSU
226	Chris Rumph II	Edge	Duke

Round 1, No. 8, QB Justin Fields: I’m not convinced the Panthers are crazy about any of the quarterbacks in the draft other than Trevor Lawrence and Zach Wilson. But they could be re-evaluating their approach in the wake of the Watson developments, after having focused on the former Clemson star for much of the offseason. Fields looked like a franchise-changing type of talent in shredding the Clemson defense in the national semifinals. But at other times, the Georgia native was erratic as a passer. Fields has the size and athleticism to make plays outside of the pocket, and he’s likely going to crush all the physical tests Tuesday at Ohio State’s pro day. The Panthers will be in Columbus, Ohio, trying to figure out if Fields could be their guy.

Round 2, No. 39, CB Eric Stokes: The Panthers would be hard-pressed to find a faster corner than Stokes in this year’s draft. The 6-foot-1, 185-pounder smoked the 40-yard dash at Georgia’s pro day, posting times of 4.25 and 4.28 seconds. For context: Henry Ruggs’ 4.27-second clocking was the fastest time at last year’s combine, and John Ross has the combine record at 4.22 seconds. So why isn’t Stokes a first-round prospect? The Athletic’s Dane Brugler mentions a need to correct his play recognition and over-aggressiveness (resulting in nine penalties at Georgia). Still, with Stokes’ combination of size and speed, I’d grab him and trust Rhule’s assistants to coach him up.

Round 3, No. 73, WR Dyami Brown: The Panthers need another offensive tackle more than a fourth wideout. But having taken a corner in the second round, I couldn’t justify reaching for a tackle here when a talent like Brown was available. The Charlotte native thrived with Tar Heels QB Sam Howell, becoming the only player in UNC history with multiple 1,000-yard receiving seasons. Brown (6-1, 185) is a dynamic playmaker who averaged more than 20 yards a catch and had 20 touchdown receptions over the past two seasons. It’s also worth noting that Robby Anderson is a free agent in 2022.

Round 4, No. 113, OT D’Ante Smith: I didn’t realize how this mock was taking on a Carolina flavor until I saw the entire, eight-player list afterward. The 6-5, 294-pound Smith was on the Senior Bowl team coached by Rhule and his staff. And while he didn’t generate much buzz — most of the media attention that week fell on Mac Jones — you have to think the Panthers liked Smith’s quick feet (he was a high school wrestler) and versatility. Smith took some reps at guard in Mobile, but he has the look of a mid-round sleeper at tackle.

Round 5, No. 151, TE Tre McKitty: The Georgia transfer is another player who was with Rhule’s staff at the Senior Bowl. While he’s not going to run away from defenders like Kyle Pitts (more on him in a bit), McKitty made plays all week in Mobile by gaining separation and showing off dependable hands. Some scouts might get scared off by his injury history and pedestrian college numbers. But for a Panthers team that has already signed one pass-catching tight end in Dan Arnold, adding another with upside on the third day of the draft could make sense.

Round 6, No. 193, LB Justin Hilliard: The last time the Panthers drafted a linebacker from St. Xavier in Cincinnati it worked OK. Hilliard isn’t anywhere near the prospect that Luke Kuechly was, in part because of his limited playing time in a Buckeyes linebacker corps that included two Butkus Award candidates. Hilliard also dealt with several injuries, including an Achilles surgery that resulted in him returning to Columbus as a sixth-year player in 2020. But Hilliard made several big plays in the postseason, including an interception against Northwestern in the Big Ten title game and a fumble recovery versus Clemson in the national semis.

Round 6, No. 222, WR Racey McMath: Like Hilliard, McMath is a guy with an impressive skill set who didn’t get to show it off much in college. The 6-3, 224-pound wide receiver was overshadowed by Justin Jefferson and Ja’Marr Chase at LSU, where he crossed paths with Panthers offensive coordinator Joe Brady during the Tigers’ national championship season of 2019. Despite his size and speed (he’s been clocked under 4.4 seconds in the 40), McMath never took off for the Tigers, even after Chase opted out last season. Still, his speed and special-teams prowess — he was LSU’s gunner on punt coverage — make him worth a sixth-round flier.

Round 6, No. 226, Edge Chris Rumph II: Ron Rivera liked having players who were coaches’ sons (Greg Olsen), believing they had an understanding of what it takes to be successful. Rumph’s father is a former South Carolina linebacker who’s had a long coaching career. He was the Texans’ outside linebackers coach last season and was recently hired to coach the Bears’ defensive line. The younger Rumph’s 17 1/2 sacks were third on Duke’s all-time list, and his 34 tackles for loss are 10th-most in school history. Rumph (6-4, 235) is a little lean to be an every-down defensive end. But that’s not necessarily a deal-breaker in Phil Snow’s defense.

 

Mock B: Falcons take a QB; Panthers shift focus

If the Falcons take a quarterback

PICK	PLAYER	POS	SCHOOL
8	Kyle Pitts	TE	Florida
39	Christian Barmore	DT	Alabama
73	Richie Grant	S	UCF
113	Rhamondre Stevenson	RB	Oklahoma
151	Ambry Thomas	CB	Michigan
193	Shi Smith	WR	South Carolina
222	Robert Rochell	CB	Central Arkansas
226	Royce Newman	OL	Ole Miss

Round 1, No. 8, TE Kyle Pitts: Conventional wisdom says you don’t take a tight end with a top-10 pick. Well, Pitts isn’t a conventional tight end — and he might not even be available to the Panthers at No. 8. I’m figuring the Bengals will take Oregon offensive tackle Penei Sewell with the fifth pick. (I had to freelance a bit because The Draft Network simulator refused to have QBs go off the board with the first four picks, no matter how many times I tried.) The Dolphins and Lions look to be eyeing the top wideouts in Chase and Jaylen Waddle. But any of those three also could pounce on the 6-6, 240-pound Pitts. But if he’s there, the only other player I’d consider is Sewell. Line up Pitts with Christian McCaffrey, DJ Moore, David Moore and Anderson and that’s a formidable lineup of weapons for Teddy Bridgewater or whoever’s the QB.

Round 2, No. 39, DT Christian Barmore: I went down a few rabbit holes doing research for these mocks. One of the more interesting nuggets came from a 2017 recruiting notebook by PennLive: Rhule, the former Temple coach, had dipped into his Pennsylvania ties to offer Barmore, an ascending, two-star recruit in Philadelphia, at Baylor. (The same article also mentions how Rhule offered Pitts, another Philly prospect.) Barmore ended up choosing Alabama, where he didn’t emerge until halfway through his third season, when he had six sacks and two forced fumbles over the final six games of 2020. The Panthers used a first-round pick on a DT last year. But rolling out a front four of Haason Reddick, Derrick Brown, Brian Burns and Barmore — who says no?

Round 3, No. 73, S Richie Grant: I’ll concede this could be a case of Mobile bias. But Grant was the best player on the field at the Senior Bowl practices for the Rhule-coached squad. At the end of the week, Rhule said if there was one guy he’d like to coach, it would be Grant, whom he called a “football guy.” With his ability to play safety and the slot, Grant also would bring that versatility that we’ve seen is so important not just to Snow but to Rhule and Fitterer, as well. The expectation is that Jeremy Chinn will move from outside linebacker to safety to fill Tre Boston’s old spot. But some of their free-agency moves suggest the Panthers are cool with acquiring as many playmakers as they can, then figuring out where they go later.

Round 4, No. 113, RB Rhamondre Stevenson: The Panthers are interested in bringing in a bigger back to complement McCaffrey and checked in on Chris Carson before he re-signed with Seattle. Well, there aren’t many backs bigger than the 6-foot Stevenson, who weighed in at 230 at Oklahoma’s pro day this month — 20 pounds lighter than his playing weight. Stevenson is a tough, downhill runner who averaged 7.2 yards per carry in two seasons with the Sooners after transferring from junior college. He didn’t impress at Senior Bowl practices, but he would give the Panthers the short-yardage back they’ve lacked since Cam Newton was released.

Round 5, No. 151, CB Ambry Thomas: Waiting until the fifth round to take a corner isn’t ideal, especially after the Panthers waited until the fourth round last year before selecting Troy Pride Jr. But if you’re trying to find a hidden gem on the third day of the draft, there are worse places to look than a guy with tremendous speed (4.37 in the 40 at Michigan’s pro day) whose stock has dropped in part because of his decision to opt out. The 5-11 Thomas is a little shorter than the Panthers’ preferred length for their corners. But he’s a physical player who, at worst, should compete at nickel.

Round 6, No. 193, WR Shi Smith: Why would the Panthers be interested in a slot receiver after signing David Moore to a two-year deal? For starters, they don’t have much depth at receiver with Curtis Samuel leaving for Washington, meaning they’re only a turned ankle away from Moore having to shift to one of the outside spots. Plus, getting a receiver of Smith’s caliber in the sixth round is a steal. Smith (5-9, 186) is not a big dude. But he’s a sub-4.5 guy who led the Gamecocks in receiving in 2020 and racked up more than 2,200 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns over his four-year career.

Round 6, No. 222, CB Robert Rochell: The former Louisiana prep track star earned a spot on The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman’s annual freaks list — one spot ahead of Penn State linebacker Micah Parsons. Rochell is a fast-twitched athlete with length (6-1, 197) and speed. What he doesn’t have is polish, after arriving at Central Arkansas as a skinny, 160-pound receiver. But he blossomed into an instinctive playmaker, finishing with 10 career interceptions and 38 pass breakups.

Round 6, No. 226, OL Royce Newman: I can already envision your wrath in the comments section after I waited until late in the sixth round to take an offensive tackle. But once I went all-in with Pitts, the best option in the second round was North Dakota State’s Dillon Radunz. And I wasn’t going to reach with the 39th pick. Because we all know what happened when the Panthers reached for an OT with the 37th pick in 2019, which also was the last time (and only time) Carolina drafted an Ole Miss tackle. But the stakes are a little different with the 226th pick. And while I’m not saying Newman is going to become the next Jordan Gross, he has — wait for it — versatility(!), having started at left guard and right tackle for the Rebels. Newman also took snaps at center at Ole Miss’ pro day. OK, on to your comments.

 

 

 

Horrific. 

[Eazy-E]

I'd sit through another season of Teddy for Sewell.

[micnificent28]

36 minutes ago, Trainwreck said:

I haven’t seen a game changing HOF type of TE drafted from the top 10-15. 

Thats why he is projected to go that high. He isnt the conventional tight end more a weapon/wr te