#1 need

[tukafan21]

Yes we need to improve our defense, but I think people are taking the wrong thing away from last night's game.

Yes, the Eagles defensive line pressure was amazing all night long and it's what won them the game, but it's not like they just did that to some dominant OL, Mahomes has been under pressure from pass rush a lot lately.

The Eagles DL was great, but I think a takeaway the league at large is going to take is more on the other side, that if you can't protect your QB, no matter how good he is, it's not going to matter.

[frankw]

Pass rush plain and simple.

[TheSpecialJuan]

We were last in the league vs the run these are our current d-linemen: Derrick Brown, A'Shawn Robinson, Jaden Crumedy, Sam Roberts, Jerrod Clark and Shy Tuttle - its clear our biggest need is D-line 

[Bostonheelfish]

15 hours ago, MHS831 said:

Everyone knows, "Inside out, front to back."

WIth that said, I say this:  DT (NT) is our biggest need.  With Wonnum and Clowney on the roster as of now, our biggest need is not OLB or DE (we get Brown back and we have Robinson under contract, as of now). 

Our next biggest need?  Edge.  Clowney had 44 pressures and is solid, but he will be 32.  Post June 1, we can save about $10m in cap room by releasing him.  I think his number is fair for the production, but at 32, will he be worth a $14m salary?  Even if he stays, we need a young guy to develop under him and take some reps. 

Our third biggest need?   DE.  A'shawn Robinson will be 31 and he was mediocre at best in 2024.  Pass rush (24 pressures, which is about 1.3 per game.  He was not great vs the run.  His post June 1 cap savings?  $7.5 million.  I think we do better.

Our 4th biggest need?  S.  Safeties are not that hard to find, but we have 1 UDFA S on our roster right now.  Still, we could use some smart players back there.

Our 5th biggest need?  WR.  Some of you will say this should have come sooner, but you mean "#1 WR." We are not fixing the defense and obtaining a #1 WR this season.  We will have to develop XL, continue to grow Coker, hope Theilen stays healthy, and draft some WRs later in the draft.  The draft is not loaded at the top, but in the 3rd/4rth, there could be some gems.

Our 6th biggest need?  CB.  Horn is on one side, Smith-Wade at nickel. Nobody across from Horn.  Aykaleb Evans looked strong vs the run and meh vs the pass in very limited action at the end of the season, so maybe he becomes depth at big nickel.  At 6-2, 200, he is a good size.  We have limited draft picks, so I say we should let a Wonnun or Robinson go if it means being able to sign Jackson for a 2-3 year deal. 

Our 7th biggest need: ILB:  Trevin Wallace was good for a rookie and Jewell was solid, but we need a run stuffer other RBs fear. 

Our 8th biggest need:  RB  We need a RB who can catch passes, hammer the DL, and pass block.  One that never smiles, except in one rare photo: 

100%

[MHS831]

I'd like to add this:  Even though DT is our biggest need (I think we need a NT and a DE), maybe DT should not be the #1 pick.  Daniel Jeremiah (pretty smart for an App State person said that last year he had NFL starter grades on 12 DTs in the draft.  This year, he has 24.  That strongly suggests that a stud will be there on day 2.

Edited 2 hours ago by MHS831

[Khyber53]

Look, I agree we desperately need to build that defensive line more than anything else right now. I think we take best DL player available at 8 unless...

Tyler Warren, that monstrous, multi-talented TE somehow is still on the table when our pick comes around. Then we sprint to the podium and take him. No questions. Sanders played, well, okayish here, but he's probably Tommy Tremble level of play. Get Warren and let him take over the center of the field and the seams and our entire offense wakes up. XL, Thielen and Coker suddenly have so much more room to work and Bryce gets to offer opposing DCs a pick your poison situation.

Literally, he's the only offensive player I'd think of pushing our pick away from the defensive line.

[MHS831]

Reason for encouragement

Remember folks, we lost to the Chiefs by 3 and the Eagles by 6 in Philly.   In the Chiefs game, Pinero kicked 4 FGs--the longest was 33 yards--we were knocking, but couldn't get in.  In the Eagles game, Bryce threw for 100 yards more than the Super Bowl MVP and the Panthers were leading in the fourth quarter--Bryce was sacked 1 time-Jewell had more sacks than the Eagles.  Both games were after Nov 24. 

[MHS831]

52 minutes ago, Khyber53 said:

Look, I agree we desperately need to build that defensive line more than anything else right now. I think we take best DL player available at 8 unless...

Tyler Warren, that monstrous, multi-talented TE somehow is still on the table when our pick comes around. Then we sprint to the podium and take him. No questions. Sanders played, well, okayish here, but he's probably Tommy Tremble level of play. Get Warren and let him take over the center of the field and the seams and our entire offense wakes up. XL, Thielen and Coker suddenly have so much more room to work and Bryce gets to offer opposing DCs a pick your poison situation.

Literally, he's the only offensive player I'd think of pushing our pick away from the defensive line.

I am reluctantly in agreement with you.  Here is my take--

Side A:  Yes, a TE would boost this offense, perhaps more than a WR (from this draft) because it would open things up and cause mismatch issues--Bryce needs a check down and a guy who can run seam routes, drags, etc,  When the Panthers have been successful, they have had a stud TE (Walls, Olsen) and a stud MLB (Mills, Morgan, Beason, Luke)...Walls was a huge target for Delhomme and Cam relied on Olsen a LOT....I have stated that the NFL Draft is loaded at DT, but did not know HOW loaded.  Daniel Jeremiah stated that in 2024, he had 12 DTs with starter grades.  This year, he has 24.  That means a starting DT is going to be there in round 3. 

Side B: Drafting any TE at 8 is a reach.  Bowers last year went 12th.  The Falcons took Kyle Pitts at 4 and have not used him well....Sanders flashed in 2024.  Is that enough if he takes the usual rookie to sophomore leap?....Is TE a player most teams find in round 1?  Is Warren on the Brock Bowers level?  (I have not researched him at all) 

[MHS831]

If I am Morgan, I make a prioritized list (Let's call it my "board") and I take the best player remaining.  I make this list based on fit, player performance, need, and the availability of players at the position.  For this exercise, I am not going to prioritize, but I will make a list, "board" if you will, of players who might be there when we pick at 8:

(I am assuming that Carter, Hunter, Sanders, and Ward will be gone.

• Graham (unlikely) DT
• Johnson CB
• Warren TE
• TMac  WR
• Mykel Williams Edge
• Walker LB

Looking at it from this perspective, Warren could be the player on the board who will make the biggest impact. 

I see Johnson as the favorite if we do not re-sign Jackson. 

TMac is interesting, but I read somewhere that he would have been the fourth or even fifth-rated WR in last season's draft--the fourth WR taken was Thomas and he went 23rd overall.  Warren could be the better value and make the bigger impact.

The last two players on this list are Swiss Army knives that would be drafted only if Evero pounds the table for them--Walker is a LB/Edge weapon, and Williams can kick inside on passing downs while holding the edge on running downs.  He will either get drafted early or drop to the end of the round, imo--hard to evaluate and fit with teams.

 

 

 

 

[Khyber53]

54 minutes ago, MHS831 said:

I am reluctantly in agreement with you.  Here is my take--

Side A:  Yes, a TE would boost this offense, perhaps more than a WR (from this draft) because it would open things up and cause mismatch issues--Bryce needs a check down and a guy who can run seam routes, drags, etc,  When the Panthers have been successful, they have had a stud TE (Walls, Olsen) and a stud MLB (Mills, Morgan, Beason, Luke)...Walls was a huge target for Delhomme and Cam relied on Olsen a LOT....I have stated that the NFL Draft is loaded at DT, but did not know HOW loaded.  Daniel Jeremiah stated that in 2024, he had 12 DTs with starter grades.  This year, he has 24.  That means a starting DT is going to be there in round 3. 

Side B: Drafting any TE at 8 is a reach.  Bowers last year went 12th.  The Falcons took Kyle Pitts at 4 and have not used him well....Sanders flashed in 2024.  Is that enough if he takes the usual rookie to sophomore leap?....Is TE a player most teams find in round 1?  Is Warren on the Brock Bowers level?  (I have not researched him at all) 

Delhomme had Mangum and Wiggins, but that was balanced by Smitty and Moose and Proehl, probably our best receiving trio ever. (And if you squint a little bit, you can see Coker, XL and Thielen in those roles now... keep squinting, almost in focus, squint a bit more...)

Warren, we're talking about possibly a generational talent at the position. I'd say all the stuff he can do, but here's his highlight reel. You'll see him as a receiver, wildcat QB runner and passer, center, running back and heck I think there's a two minute segment of him running a concessions stand during the two minute warning and getting every order correct.

If we don't grab him, then I am sure New Orleans will snag him on the next pick and he's going to be killing us for the next decade.

[jayboogieman]

Take kicker off the boards