Carolina Panthers complete draft picks.

[Stumpy]

1(1) - Cam Newton - QB - Auburn

We've discussed this one for 3+ months. :thumbsup:

1(65) - Terrell McClain - DT - South Florida

What he brings: McClain is an upfield penetrator with good quickness and hands as a pass-rusher. He needs to work on lowering his pad level and getting off blocks as a run defender, but should bring good depth as a situational one-gap player as a rookie.

How he fits: Carolina used mostly backup-type players at this position last season and could lose some to free agency. For years the Panthers have lacked a powerful run stuffer inside with the ability to get penetration in pass-rushing situations. McClain won't be elite versus the run but he can be an inside penetrator and is a more gifted athlete than they have on the roster.

33(97) - Sione Fua - DT - Stanford

What he brings: Fua is a one-dimensional run-stopper with the size and low center of gravity to plug the middle and keep blockers off his linebackers. However, he lacks the endurance and closing burst to develop into a good pass-rusher and become a three-down player in the NFL.

How he fits: Carolina used mostly backup-type players at DT last year, and not only were they not overly productive, but they could have some losses in free agency. They already addressed this position earlier in the round with Terrell McClain, and they seem to be committed to bolstering the inside of this defense. Fua fits well if they change up their DL techniques and shade him over the center.

1(98) - Brandon Hogan - CB - West Virginia

What he brings: Hogan is instinctive and has good short-area burst with above-average ball skills. There are concerns about his lack of top-end speed and off-field character issues.

How he fits: One of the Panthers' starters, Richard Marshall will likely not be back and Chris Gamble underachieved in 2010 and he has a big contract, so he could also be gone. There is very little depth on a defense that doesn't have a great pass rush, they are forced to blitz a lot and leave their corners on an island, which requires man skills and Hogan should be decent in that situation.

1(132) - Kealoha Pilares - WR - Hawaii

A little bit of a reach here since he's coming off a knee injury and doesn't have great size or top end speed. On positive note, crafty route runner and isn't afraid to work the middle of the field.

1(166) - Lawrence Wilson - OLB - Connecticut

Wilson is very instinctive with a wide range and a nose for the ball. However, he is undersized and has trouble taking on and disengaging from blocks.

38(203) - Zachary Williams - OC - Washington State

Williams has the frame and toughness to develop into a reliable reserve who can provide depth at guard and center. However, his technique is lacking.

41(244) - Lee Ziemba - OT - Auburn

A mammoth lineman, Ziemba stands in at 6'8'' and 308 pounds. He is also relatively nimble for his size, running between 5.1 and 5.2 in the 40-yard-dash. He is a better run-blocker than pass-blocker at the moment, but he can excel in both areas.

Thoughts, grades, rants???

[Dpantherman]

Ziemba is probably the steal of our draft, and will probably contribute quickly.

[Squirrel]

Filled alot of needs. The risk to reward side of it is huge. Both Cam and Hogan have question marks. But if they succeed it will be a good draft.

[blackcatgrowl]

Good post. I vote that this is stickied for a couple weeks.

[KillerKat]

Grade A draft. I like every pick. I was 100% correct with what positions they would pick which is a surprise to me.

[Stumpy]

Grade A draft. I like every pick. I was 100% correct with what positions they would pick which is a surprise to me.

I thought we would take a TE (I guess Chud must be high on Barney) and that we would have addressed OL a little earlier than we did.

The only pick I have a problem with is Brandon Hogan. He doesn't jump out to me as one who can challenge Cap'n for the #2 spot if Marshall is gone.

And, I think that Boling would have been a slam dunk pick there. But, I couldn't have imagined that we would have gotten Ziemba in the 7th.

All in all, I am pretty happy with this draft. I think we should be able to get 3-4 starters out of this draft.

[TheWiz]

I think this was a great draft! Hurney/ Rivera (attempted) to address all of our needs.

We got our QB... and invested in some protection for him, including someone he's comfortable with. (ZIEBA was a STEAL.) Created some competition at DT which was our biggest hole on defense. I feel like we got a real sleeper in Keolaha Pilares. I believe that he can do for us some Welkerish things on 3rd down scenarios. Brandon Hogan is a BALLER... but he is the biggest question mark out of this draft. Think we're gonna see him try out on some special teams to see what he can do in the return game.

Now we just have to sit back and hope that this Lockout gets resolved quickly... because one thing is for certain.... Ron Rivera is NOTHING LIKE JOHN FOX. If we could get Jeremy Shockey to come play for us... Im interested in who else we could get to buy into what we're doing. He's not afraid to go after players who can actually make an impact.

I like where we're heading so far. Lets keep it moving.

[Carl Spackler]

:confused:

[Jackofalltrades]

Two thumbs up!

[Marguide]

Overall, I am very pleased.

My favorite selections...Newton, Pilares, and Ziemba. Less enthusiastic about Williams and Hogan.

This is going to be a good, young team, especially if we can keep DWill. Add a few experienced free agents and we should be good to go.

[teeray]

Not the sexiest draft but it was marriage material. Filled a lot of needs.

[GritsRgreat]

I like Fua and the two OL men.

[teeray]

My favorite pick is Ziemba (purely on value) and my least favorite Silares.

[ckad79]

I think this draft showed how impatience Hurney is or this organization as a whole! I think it has a lot to do with our own fan-base and what we demand out of this team, and just how impatient some of us are as fans.

I mean, last year, we go out and get this rookie QB from Notre Dame who was a top prospect. Later on, we draft another prospect... Pike. I mean, granted, not everybody is going to come in and be ready. For every solid QB who just "gets it" on day one, like a Matt Ryan, their are plenty of guys who take time to develop.

I mean, a lot of great QBs struggle early on. Just look at Manning, as a great example.

Not to say Clausen or Pike will become Manning, but you can't throw away your game plan when things fall apart in year one.

So, my question is, are we going to throw Cam under the bus when he struggles? He will. The guy is extremely athletic, has a great arm, etc, but he is going to struggle going from Auburn's simplistic offensive playbook to ours. It won't be easy for him. His athleticism may save him on a few plays and he'll be fun to watch, but he won't be an elite QB early on.

I don't mind it, because I know when you have development players it is going to take time. I just hope we don't loose sight of our direction and change ships again next year.

I mean, we wasted a pick last year to get Edwards and then this year, we go out and draft another slot receiver, as to say we've given up on Edwards too? haha

Come on! You can't throw a fit so easily.

I feel the great teams in this NFL show they have patience and what you get is a cycle is talent coming out of a system.