Draft: Best available player or...

[OneBadCat]

If we could trade back to 17 or 18 I would have no problem reaching for a guy like Hopkins or Hunter. We need to take the top end WR talent while it is there. We could then use our 2nd and whatever compensation we get to address DT or safety/OG etc..

[KendrickPanther]

BPA but with that said there is some positional value in your draft grade. Tackles are still more valuable than guards. Running Backs more valuable than Fullbacks. Defensive Ends more valuable than Linebackers. None of these positional values are set by need with the exception of QB.

With that said if there is a franchise Left Tackle on the board I take that in a heart beat. If there is a Stud Defensive End or Defensive Tackle I take that after a LT.

I put a high grade on line play. I would love to have a stud WR but there are lots of great WRs on losing teams. You can't distribute the ball effectively when the QB is evading defenders.

[DangerClose]

It's easy to say BPA, but if the BPA were a QB, RB or MLB nobody would expect us to take that player. So that means anybody who says BPA either doesn't really mean BPA or they are wrong. Having said that, I would identify our 2-3 biggest positions of need and take the BPA out of those particular players.

yeah thats what i was trying to get at. thanks for clarifying

[tiger7_88]

If one player is far and above the "better" player on your board, you pick that player (i.e. unless its a quarterback IMO).

If several players on your board are "equal", then you pick for a needed position.

[JawnyBlaze]

Drafting a DT in the first round is like watching Marty Hurney make a second round pick, it will be painful, infuriating, confusing and disappointing. There are no bonified stars in this crop of DT's it's not as if Nagta or Suh is sitting there. Any DT we draft will instantly be a 2-3 year project and this place will come unglued the minute our run d gets gashed or we go 2 preseason games and don't hear his name called. Be careful wat you wish for all you DT prognosticators.

(Side note) if we do happen to draft a DT in the first I will love him just the same as every other panther player.

There is 1 bonafide star at DT this year, and his name happens to be Star. There's only a few guys like that in this draft period, and they're all OL and 1 DT. The second tier of DTs are still closer to stars than the top tier of WRs this year. This year's draft is very light at the top, with only Joeckel, Warmack, Star and maybe Fisher and Cooper as "elite" prospects. Our only hope of getting someone who is an elite prospect is if Star's heart scares 13 other teams enough to have him slip to our spot (or we trade up). Otherwise we'll be picking someone who's a probably a "project" regardless of what position we take. Especially if we take one of the top WRs. They're the biggest projects of all top rated players at their position this year.

[iamhubby1]

Drafting a DT in the first round is like watching Marty Hurney make a second round pick, it will be painful, infuriating, confusing and disappointing. There are no bonified stars in this crop of DT's it's not as if Nagta or Suh is sitting there. Any DT we draft will instantly be a 2-3 year project and this place will come unglued the minute our run d gets gashed or we go 2 preseason games and don't hear his name called. Be careful wat you wish for all you DT prognosticators.

(Side note) if we do happen to draft a DT in the first I will love him just the same as every other panther player.

Now that is where we differ. I feel a DT at 14 has a better chance to succeed than fail. A top 14 pick against a 2-3 rounder? I’ll take that top 14 pick and pencil him in as a starter.

Do not let the fact that there are no superstars this year give you the wrong impression. There are some very good athletes, and we very well could snag one for ourselves at 14. He should be good enough to start day one and look a poo ton better than some folk would have you believe.

I would say not to worry. We will get a very good athlete at 14. And he will make an impact this year, not 2-3 years like 3^rd rounders seem to. But most folks believe what they perceive. And the perception this year is avg class, because of the lack of superstars.

[Brokenbad]

I have said it a million times, I think we are drafting for immediate impact based on our free agency activity.

IMO, DT takes years to mature into a good pro, I seriously doubt we take one in the first.

[MadHatter]

BPA at a position of need.

agree 100%

[Pejorative Miscreant]

The second tier of DTs are still closer to stars than the top tier of WRs this year.

Yes. Thank You. Not saying I am hoping we draft a DT, Only that there is more perceived value at that position and our draft point than WR or OL. My feeling is that we will go DT or Safety.

[Sword]

BPA=Best Playmaker available. WR or CB is probable. I'd always save my DT/Oline picks for 2nd round or later; they aren't going to score points or reliably create turnovers. LT has been devalued since pressure comes from everywhere and you just need solid guys across the whole line not just one good guy. DTs rarely pan out as instant game changers in the first round.

Also thinking Gettleman might not go with Austin though after the Sinorice Moss debacle with NYG.

[panthers55]

I have said it a million times, I think we are drafting for immediate impact based on our free agency activity.

IMO, DT takes years to mature into a good pro, I seriously doubt we take one in the first.

Using that logic you wouldn't draft a WR either. There are no immediate impact wide receivers in this draft. There are few if any immediate impact players in this draft other than Offensive linemen. Gettleman is doing everything for the next few years like he is doing with the cap. He is not thinking immediate impact but long term value. He would be stupid to not think for the long term.

[JawnyBlaze]

Using that logic you wouldn't draft a WR either. There are no immediate impact wide receivers in this draft. There are few if any immediate impact players in this draft other than Offensive linemen. Gettleman is doing everything for the next few years like he is doing with the cap. He is not thinking immediate impact but long term value. He would be stupid to not think for the long term.

Indeed. WRs usually take as long or longer than DT's to fully develop. On our team, even if the WR prospects were of equivalent potential as DT prospects (which they're not, not even close) the DT would be the biggest immediate impact just based on what we have at the two position groups alone. Simply put, Brandon Lafell > Fua or whoever else they have penciled in to start at DT beside Dwan. For that matter, Lafell is probably roughly equivalent to Dwan. He's actually better, factoring in age for the long term effect on the team.

[panthers55]

Now that is where we differ. I feel a DT at 14 has a better chance to succeed than fail. A top 14 pick against a 2-3 rounder? I’ll take that top 14 pick and pencil him in as a starter.

Do not let the fact that there are no superstars this year give you the wrong impression. There are some very good athletes, and we very well could snag one for ourselves at 14. He should be good enough to start day one and look a poo ton better than some folk would have you believe.

I would say not to worry. We will get a very good athlete at 14. And he will make an impact this year, not 2-3 years like 3^rd rounders seem to. But most folks believe what they perceive. And the perception this year is avg class, because of the lack of superstars.

You can feel however you want but the numbers say that DTs fail more than they succeed and rarely play that well their first year. I remember when Sedrick Ellis was drafted at 8 by New Orleans and everyone was talking about him being dominant. How did that work out? Linemen rarely make a big impact on either side of the ball particularly out of the top 10.

Kearse or Cole are very likely to start at NT if we take one in the draft.

[aussiePanther]

Trade down then BPA in positions of need - DT, OL, WR, S, CB.