Don't assume the Panthers first pick...

[KillerKat]

Rivera has been saying this all week. The only offense we need to draft is a guard and/or tackle.

[carolinarolls]

OTA's will determine if Otah is going to be the guy or not. He is on his last leg. The tough love has already been administered.

Same for the DT's and DE's and the CB corps. Too much in the air to guess. Too many unanswered questions to assume anything.

[Cat'sGrowl]

DeCastro.

[Ivan The Awesome]

Personally I think we need to trade out of this spot.

past 8/9 picks since 2008

Jake Locker

Tyron Smith

Rondo Mclain

CJ Spiller

Eugene Monroe

BJ Raji

Derrick Harvey

Keith Rivers

Well considering Hurney hits his #1 picks out of the park. I wouldn't worry too much about what the other teams incompetent front offices have done at that draft spot. Just saying.

[MadHatter]

I either want CB, OT, or maybe Coples at DE if he is there.

Blackmon would be fine if he were there.....which I highly doubt.

No other WR is worth the pick...no LB is worth the pick...there is not a DT that would be an immediate impact on the DL (would rather go FA for DT if the staff believes we have the need).

If I were going to reach at this spot, the Safety from Alabama (Baron) would be a possibility. But, I think it is about 8 spots of a reach.

[Kevin Greene]

We could draft offense or defense.

Stunning news indeed.

[PantherFanOne]

We have 3 months left. A lot of time for things to change. Dont assume anything, even assuming to not assume anything is an assumption.

I assume you are assuming this assumption. :)

[Snake]

Is it just me or does Hurney do this every year. Like last year when everyone thought there could be a chance we were going to take CB.

[PrimeTyme]

Hurney was content to ignore the defense in the last off season, so why would this off season be any different?

[beastson]

Wtf does your board mean?

Position we need? Cause if so then CB is one of them

[section543]

Fans always overreact to draft hype. BPA in this draft[ may not be as good as a backup available in FA (see DT in this draft). Teams like the Giants and Ravens don't hesitate to take players at positions they don't "need" and their team is better because of it vs. reaching for an average player beacuse he is rated highly by "experts."

SO what if Richardson is still available? I still think trade down, or multipe trade down is the smartest play, if anyone will trade with us.

[tiger7_88]

I still believe with the plethora of possible cornerstone OT's in this draft (Kalil, Reiff, Martin) and a brick-wall guard (DeCastro), that the Panthers go OL.

Kalil won't be available at 8/9, so the others listed above are (IMO) the best options.

Plus, I believe we would get our best value out of any of the players listed above unless Blackmon or Claiborne somehow fall to 8/9.

[carolinarolls]

I am liking the idea of Coples more and more. Depending on his combine of course and how good of shape he shows up in will help me along a bit more.

The guy is a monster. I know he gets a bad rap for being a Tar Heel or playing in the ACC or for not leading the nation in TFL last season like everybody hyped him to do but he is a player. I think he looks like he "took plays off" last season and I now how notoriously negative that phrase is around here but if a guy commands a double team or gets run away from the majority of the time, he has done his job. Think about it. How does a guy who forces the action away from him or occupies two players or at least one and a chip or help from a back "take a play off"? He won the battle before the snap in my mind.

If he plays opposite CJ he could be a beast. If he plays down in a 3-4 he should be able to hold his own. If he gets singled and CJ doubled he will wreck some people. he is just too big, too strong, and too athletic. If he plays the Rucker role he will be a huge help and I believe he can do that.

Attitude is the only question for me right now and for the same reasons as everyone else. I watched the same games you guys did and more than a lot of you.

First step, show up in the best shape of your life. Next, make believers out of all the doubters in the combine. Then embrace the opportunity of playing with a defensive minded HC, a top 5 DE on your opposite, and a host of great linebackers that will back you up.

I understand the doubt and have some myself so I am in a holding pattern but if the draft was tomorrow and we had only the data we have right now, I would gamble.

[CatMan72]

Remember this... we didn't appear to need Kalil when we drafted him because we had just signed Hartwig as a FA, now Kalil is a 3x pro-bowler and I'm not even sure if Hartwig is in the league anymore.