Should we draft IOWA center Tyler Linderbaum in the 1st round or go with a LT?

[Jackie Lee]

7 minutes ago, Icege said:

Evan Neal is not going to be available at #6 when the Panthers make their selection, and he's being projected as a RT to boot.

Ikem Ekwonu would be an incredible pick because both he and Christensen can play LT/LG so just figure out who fits where best and let them go.

Charles Cross is looking like a very, very intriguing LT prospect that has gotten some eyes on him recently.

Tyler Linderbaum is the #1 OL in the draft, being rated above Neal the same way that Slater was rated higher than Sewell though Sewell was projected higher (I will never understand that tbh). He also plays a position that literally effects the entire OL.

Shiiiiiit... even if Rhule tries to go full Rhule there's still Kyle Hamilton, George Karlaftis, or a QB.

I'm really, really excited for this draft despite not having a 2nd or 3rd. I'm eager to see who that next franchise cornerstone is expected to be.

I like the Ikem pick, we need some attitude on the line, too many soft guys. Moton gets by with great technique but I miss having Norwell style guys wanting to destroy guys at guard. With Ikem and if they actually play Deonte Brown, we're already much improved. My theory is Rhule knows Deonte is better than Miller/Jordan but his ego won't let him make the change until the offseason so he can say he needed next camp to truly get him prepared. That and he's trying to used car salesman his way into justifying these bad OL FA contracts

[Shocker]

12 minutes ago, Icege said:

Duke Mayweather declared Tyler Linderbaum OL #1.

I'll take his word over your's since you're too busy this year to run your algorithm. 

Linderbaum and Cross are also not undersized, unless you think Christensen's arms are too short. Matt?

Both are undersized man.  Brady Christensen arms are too short and he isn’t the answer either.

Matt Rhule is absolutely right on BC.  If anyone is thinking he is our LT they are delusional 

Edited January 5, 2022 by Shocker

[unicar15]

Evan Neal is Ogden. You take him and plug him in day one and you’ve solved LT for the next decade. Put Christensen beside him and you may have the best left side in football in a few years. 

[Thorrez]

I would love to see the weight curve of the prospects. Ideally you want someone struggling to keep weight on and not the other way around (Gross vs Otah being the prime examples). Of course hard to tell where they are on their curve as some of them are basically children, but moving like s guy 50 pounds lighter won't help at 400.

[mrcompletely11]

8 hours ago, Shocker said:

Cross is also undersized.  Linderbaum is not the top OL thats Neal.  Things may change.  The Panthers, if we are smart…which Fitty is will take the best player when we pick.  Value and trading down will be amazing to watch.  I like Fitty and Rhule making those calls.

Undersized?   Do tell?   They are projecting he adds another 20lbs on his 305 lb frame.  Kid is legit as a pass blocker and will get better in run.  

[Khyber53]

20 hours ago, SCO96 said:

https://www.pff.com/news/draft-2022-nfl-draft-board-big-board

5. OT EVAN NEAL, ALABAMA

The mammoth 6-foot-7, 350-pounder is one of the most imposing specimens ever to grace this earth — and he moves like a man 50 pounds lighter. He’s only allowed 22 pressures the past two years between left and right tackle.

6. IOL TYLER LINDERBAUM, IOWA

The best center prospect we’ve seen in the PFF College era. He was already the highest-graded center in the country in 2020, but he has taken his game to new heights in 2021, earning a 95.3 overall grade.

9. OT CHARLES CROSS, MISSISSIPPI STATE

After flashing traits in his first year as a starter in 2020, Cross became a dominant pass-protector in 2021. He went from allowing 44 pressures on 574 pass-blocking snaps last season to only 16 pressures on 719 pass-blocking snaps this year.

10. OT ICKY EKWONU, N.C. STATE

The single most dominant run-blocking tackle in the country. Ekwonu’s 18 big-time blocks in the run game this season are seven more than the next-closest Power 5 offensive lineman.

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Our O-line is so bad that's I'd be giddy if we drafted any of these guys. But, if Brady could hold down the LT spot the thought of adding Linderman makes me fill warm and fuzzy.  Those clips from Sunday's game, and what I've seen all year, shows that our weakest pass blockers are the interior lineman.

 

Take the center!

Or whatever @Verge says we should. That person needs to be on the Panther's drafting staff!

Edited January 5, 2022 by Khyber53

[Icege]

8 hours ago, stbugs said:

The OL rebuild is 2022 and 2023.

If it takes two years to rebuild this OL, that means the staff failed this year and the new staff has to do it.

 

[SCO96]

10 hours ago, PandaMan said:

We have 1 good starter on the line and a bunch of crap and unknown, albeit promising talents.  Yes, totally agree with trading down.  However, this draft isn’t great for QBs so finding someone willing to give up enough to actually trade down meaningfully is the hard part.  But I have faith in Fitt in that.  If we traded down to mid-late teens I would still take Lindenbaum.  

I'm glad you and I (and others) are able to acknowledge this. We can't assume we are going to find a team willing to trade up and give up a ransom of picks in return. What would we expect a team to give up it we did trade back and which of the top 5 picks is really worth trading up for?

Nor can we assume that we can fill a gap or two on the O-line in free agency. Based on the current situation in Charlotte, why would a top FA lineman want to play for the Panther?

We've had 4 straight losing seasons. 

We've never had back to back winning seasons

Our coach seems to be in over his head and somewhat delusional (No Mr. Rhule,the process is not working )

We have no franchise QB

Our franchise RB is always hurt.

Our team for the past two years literally cannot score points in the 3rd quarter.

Every team we play seems to have the ability to shut us down in the 2nd half and DB's openly say "We know the routes the receivers are running pre snap)

I just don't see good lineman clawing their way to get here. So, I would have no problem if we stayed put and took the lineman that would have the most impact on out pass protection, even though I see the wisdom in possibly trading down to get extra picks.

[Icege]

57 minutes ago, stbugs said:

Duh, they’ve already failed. They should have taken Humphrey and Smith instead of Marshall and a long snapper. We are posting in here about our solutions for the future based on actual resources. We traded away 3 good OL draft picks in 2022 and our OL is Moton, maybe BC and nothing else. How do you suppose we guarantee to fix this all with a 1st rounder and day 3 picks? Can’t go back in time and take KC’s rookies from them.

We don’t need to be dumping money on FAs to give us a bridge in 2022. Sam’s the QB for 2022 so are you actually thinking we can fix the entire OL and somehow make the playoffs and contend? If not, we’ve got to use the picks we actually have and build our a solid OL in two drafts. Get our LT this year and get our C in 2023 (early 2nd should be a great spot), BC becomes a solid LG when we tell him that’s all he needs to do and hopefully you get a RG from our 6th round project or one of the remaining 2022/2023 picks.

You're preaching to the choir on Creed + Trey. I wanted Slater, Humphrey, and Smith in that order round-by-round. To top all of that off: the Chiefs invested a 2nd + 6th shoring up their OL last year. Niang was a 3rd round selection the year prior. We're sitting on our 3rd round LT now and are looking to invest a 1st + potentially a 4th or 5th. The rebuild should be complete this season coming if we're using the Chiefs as an example. Not in 2023.

How do we fix this with current resources?

• Draft Linderbaum in the top 10, put BC + DB at LT + RG, and then sign a veteran LG or draft one in the later rounds.
• Draft Linderbaum in the top 10, put BC + DB at LG + RG, and gamble on a day 3 left tackle.
• Draft Ekwonu or Cross in the top 10, put BC + DB at LG + RG, and gamble on a day 3 center.

If we're going to go off of current trends, then DB is likely a starting caliber RG that Rhule & co have kept on the bench like they did with BC. This upcoming free agent class is going to have a lot of affordable, quality guards that can plug and play. However, there are very few LTs or Cs in free agency next year. The available centers, if they aren't old, aren't good. The LT group has some quality players available but they will be expensive.

All of that taken into consideration, I believe that the first option of drafting Linderbaum, signing an LG, and starting BC + DB at LT + RG is the best option to give this team a chance to compete going forward.

But I wouldn't be mad at all at drafting Ekwonu or Cross if they and that day 3 center panned out.

 

Edited January 5, 2022 by Icege

[Icege]

8 hours ago, stbugs said:

I’m not making the same assumptions as you. I’m not assuming that BC is a good enough LT and that Brown is a starting RG.

So you agree with Matt Rhule's evaluations?