Unnecessary Bluntness: Do Panthers already have a draft crush?

[Newbie]

11 minutes ago, Ricky Prickles said:

Mingo won't be the same as you saw last year with decent coaching and an actual offense that isn't garbage before the ball is even snapped.

I hope you’re right. Smitty thought highly of him as a prospect and that means a lot. 

[Ricky Prickles]

32 minutes ago, Newbie said:

I hope you’re right. Smitty thought highly of him as a prospect and that means a lot. 

Unfortunately I am being very optimistic but that is all we have as fans these days. Can't get much worse than the offense last season so I feel like the only way we can go is up especially with a coaching staff who hopefully gives a crap this season. I hope any way.....

[Untouchable]

54 minutes ago, Ricky Prickles said:

Mingo won't be the same as you saw last year with decent coaching and an actual offense that isn't garbage before the ball is even snapped.

If I had a guess I don't think he's going to play on the outside as much next year.  Probably going back to that power slot role he did well in college, kind of like Chris Godwin plays for the Bucs. Also why I think the team is targeting another outside receiver in the draft.

[Ricky Prickles]

1 minute ago, Untouchable said:

If I had a guess I don't think he's going to play on the outside as much next year.  Probably going back to that power slot role he did well in college, kind of like Chris Godwin plays for the Bucs. Also why I think the team is targeting another outside receiver in the draft.

Very good point I did not even think about.

[52Beast]

4 hours ago, bythenbrs said:

McConkey.  Very polished route runner, great hands, gets separation, 2.7.

I like Legette.  He’s athletic and his will alone will enable him to succeed to some degree in the NFL.  McConkey is simply more polished and, in my opinion, would have a greater immediate impact on this team.  
 

Thielen isn’t getting any younger.  Drafting McConkey gives us options with Thielen that will expire after the ‘24 season.  In essence, you can draft his replacement AND get something in return for him.  As an armchair GM, that’s the move I’d be looking to make. 

[Navy_football]

McConkey is the right choice. If they can get both, great. But, DO NOT pass on Ladd for Leggette!

[jfra78]

1 hour ago, philw5289 said:

I think Dan Morgan is going to make sure we get Payton Wilson 

I can see this or Cooper.  

[top dawg]

12 hours ago, Tr3ach said:

Hes fast in a straight line running 40 yards untouched.  Hes not quick, nor good at change of direction.  He has short arms and small hands for his size and wasnt a good route runner and routinely relied on making contested catches because he didnt get seperation in college.  This would be such a panthers wr pick. 

Some of the things you say may have merit, but it seems as though you're making it sound worse than it is. "Short arms and small hands," but yet X is still a bully at the catch point. Scouts do tend to question his lateral agility, but not his speed or quickness really. 

https://www.profootballnetwork.com/xavier-legette-draft-scouting-report-2024/

 

I think that the next draft profile which is fairly recent is about as critical as I've seen, and it may be fair. So I will list what they said verbatim here:

 

Strengths 

Thick, muscular frame with a strong lower half. He played with physical and competitive components to his game.

Location versatility in South Carolina’s offense. He lined up outside and the slot, including snaps at boundary X.

Excellent straight-line speed with acceleration to run after catch and burst to run away from defense on short throws.

Good size, body control and hands to highpoint the ball and make contested catches on the sideline.

Overall, he caught the ball effectively through contact. He maintained control of the ball with excellent balance.

Routes in which he showed an understanding of how to use his vertical stem and strong body to create separation.

There were times when Legette showed some sense of route running detail — something to build on.

 

Weaknesses

Little stiff and straight-line linear in his overall movement. He's tight-hipped without much looseness in his cuts.

Change of direction is not a strength. At times, it limits his ability to make quick explosive cuts at the top of the route stem.

Needs refinement work vs. press coverage. He comes off the line too upright, which limits short-area quickness.

Did not see much detail or refinement in his route running. He relied on size and speed without needed technique.

https://www.the33rdteam.com/xavier-legette-nfl-draft-2024-combine-results-scouting-report-for-south-carolina-wr/

He's certainly not the perfect receiver, but who is that's going to be available at 33? However I did read something that said his ceiling is really high. He's going to have to be polished---coached up, but talent shouldn't be an issue. I like how the 33rd basically intimated near the end of their analysis, that it would be smart to put him on routes that would "minimize his tight core" and "maximize his linear speed," and of course that's something that Seattle seems to have done with D.K. Metcalf. It would seem that X is best fit to be an X receiver.

 

Edited March 20 by top dawg

[CRA]

5 minutes ago, top dawg said:

Some of the things you say may have merit, but it seems as though you're making it sound worse than it is. "Short arms and small hands," but yet X is still a bully at the catch point. Scouts do tend to question his lateral agility, but not his speed or quickness really. 

https://www.profootballnetwork.com/xavier-legette-draft-scouting-report-2024/

 

I think that the next draft profile which is fairly recent is about as critical as I've seen, and it may be fair. So I will list what they said verbatim here:

 

Strengths 

Thick, muscular frame with a strong lower half. He played with physical and competitive components to his game.

Location versatility in South Carolina’s offense. He lined up outside and the slot, including snaps at boundary X.

Excellent straight-line speed with acceleration to run after catch and burst to run away from defense on short throws.

Good size, body control and hands to highpoint the ball and make contested catches on the sideline.

Overall, he caught the ball effectively through contact. He maintained control of the ball with excellent balance.

Routes in which he showed an understanding of how to use his vertical stem and strong body to create separation.

There were times when Legette showed some sense of route running detail — something to build on.

 

Weaknesses

Little stiff and straight-line linear in his overall movement. He's tight-hipped without much looseness in his cuts.

Change of direction is not a strength. At times, it limits his ability to make quick explosive cuts at the top of the route stem.

Needs refinement work vs. press coverage. He comes off the line too upright, which limits short-area quickness.

Did not see much detail or refinement in his route running. He relied on size and speed without needed technique.

https://www.the33rdteam.com/xavier-legette-nfl-draft-2024-combine-results-scouting-report-for-south-carolina-wr/

He's certainly not the perfect receiver, but who is that's going to be available at 33? However I did read something that said his ceiling is really high. He's going to have to be polished---coached up, but talent shouldn't be an issue. I like how the 33rd basically intimated near the end of their analysis, that it would be smart to put him on routes that would "minimize his tight core" and "maximize his linear speed," and of course that's something that Seattle seems to have done with D.K. Metcalf. It would seem that X is best fit to be an X receiver.

 

yeah, the small hands/arm narrative is just reading off a paper and not his play.   I mean, he has good hands.  That's billed as one of his strengths.  And his hands and arms are on par with the consensus #1 WR and no one is claiming he has small hands.   You can have big hands and have bad hands. 

and you can get Leggette projects later than the 33rd.  I mean, if he is there at the top of the 3rd?  No brainer IMO. 

[Tr3ach]

6 minutes ago, CRA said:

yeah, the small hands/arm narrative is just reading off a paper and not his play.   I mean, he has good hands.  That's billed as one of his strengths.  And his hands and arms are on par with the consensus #1 WR and no one is claiming he has small hands.   You can have big hands and have bad hands. 

and you can get Leggette projects later than the 33rd.  I mean, if he is there at the top of the 3rd?  No brainer IMO. 

Making contested catches in college is different than doing it in the NFL.  Most of the best contested catch makers in the NFL didnt really even have to do it much in college because they got open. 

[jasonluckydog]

I remember begging for us to draft Alshon Jeffrey and everyone here was talking poo about his weight, speed etc.  We really missed out took Silatolu instead. 

[top dawg]

7 hours ago, Panthero said:

If we need an X, I'd rather have Keon Coleman. He seems to have that short area quickness that will work better for the Bryce offense. Still get a physical guy that do contested catches but doesn't need a runway like Legette and Tez Walker to take advantage of their speed. 

There are even more questions regarding Coleman's ability to be an X considering his lack of speed. I'm not going to post his strengths and weaknesses here (from the 33rd team which I find are critical, but probably fair), but he has more questions as to whether his traits will translate to the pros.

https://www.the33rdteam.com/keon-coleman-nfl-draft-2024-combine-results-scouting-report-for-florida-state-wr/

[jfra78]

1 minute ago, top dawg said:

There are even more questions regarding Coleman's ability to be an X considering his lack of speed. I'm not going to post his strengths and weaknesses here (from the 33rd team which I find are critical, but probably fair), but he has more questions as to whether his traits will translate to the pros.

https://www.the33rdteam.com/keon-coleman-nfl-draft-2024-combine-results-scouting-report-for-florida-state-wr/

I kinda like the other florida state WR, Wilson, later in the draft

[top dawg]

2 minutes ago, jasonluckydog said:

I remember begging for us to draft Alshon Jeffrey and everyone here was talking poo about his weight, speed etc.  We really missed out took Silatolu instead. 

Some guys are just gamers. X strikes me as a gamer. I'll take a bully ball catcher. Honestly, that's Tee Higgins' calling card.