BY CORY SPIERS
coryspiers@gmail.com
It's almost that time. The 2018 NFL Draft is finally nearly upon us.
It seems like an eternity since the Panthers fell 31-26 in early January at New Orleans in the Wild Card round.
Since the season came to an abrupt halt and it was made official Carolina would pick 24th in the first round, pundits have swarmed to offer their thoughts on who would go where.
The Panthers used their top-10 pick in the previous draft to add the shifty, explosive Christian McCaffrey and addressed wide receiver (Curtis Samuel), tackle (Taylor Moton) and defensive end (Daeshon Hall) in the following rounds.
Carolina drafted a cornerback (Corn Elder), a fullback (Alex Armah) and a kicker (Harrison Butker) in the later rounds. Elder was sidelined with an injury and never saw regular season action while Armah made the practice squad and Butker was poached by Kansas City.
In this simulated mock draft I ran on Fanspeak.com, I picked some intriguing weapons for the Panthers and focused largely on addressing the team's major needs.
This mock draft is based on the most recent big board from Bleacher Report's Matt Miller. The selections for the other 31 teams were picked by the computer with individual team needs factored in. I made the Panthers selections and was not able to trade picks.
Let's break down who would fit in where in this simulated scenario.
Round 1 -- Josh Jackson, CB:
Carolina's need for a corner was only further fueled by the news that newly-signed Bashaud Breeland failed his physical and wouldn't be permitted to sign with the Panthers earlier this offseason.
Outside of proven commodity James Bradberry, the Panthers don't have much else. Kevon Seymour returns from last year's squad with some reps under his belt and Duke product Ross Cockrell was signed this offseason to provide depth.
Last year's second corner opposite Bradberry, West Virginia product Daryl Worley, was shipped to Philadelphia in exchange for wide receiver Torrey Smith. Worley was arrested weeks after the trade, released by the Eagles and signed by the Raiders.
The nickel corner spot is occupied by Captain Munnerlyn and Elder should be able to show what he has in training camp this summer as a backup in that position.
Even still, the Panthers could use a corner and in this fantasy draft, Iowa's Josh Jackson was on the board and the team didn't think twice about pulling the trigger.
Jackson was a wide receiver as a prep baller in Texas. During his time at Iowa, he worked his way into becoming a household name as a converted corner.
Jackson redshirted in 2014 and started his career as a reserve corner with Iowa the next two seasons.
This past season saw Jackson skyrocket up the draft boards as he led the nation in interceptions (eight) and passes defended (26).
Jackson would be an immediate upgrade over Cockrell, Seymour and anyone else the Panthers have on their roster as depth pieces.
He'd soften the sting left when the Breeland signing fell through and would absolutely compete for the second starting corner job in training camp and would likely put positive heat on Bradberry for the honor of the team's lockdown corner as a rookie.
Round 2 -- D.J. Moore, WR:
The Panthers need weapons at wide receiver, there's no getting around it.
Carolina started the process of addressing that need by trading for Smith and adding free agent slot specialist Jarius Wright.
There's still plenty of work to be done, though. The additions are nice but the Panthers still lack a true number one game breaker.
Maryland's Moore was gone in the first round in a lot of mock drafts but the run on quarterbacks in the first round helped push him to Carolina in the second round in this simulation.
There's an ongoing debate even still regarding which wide receiver is the best in this year's draft between Moore, Alabama's Calvin Ridley and SMU's Courtland Sutton.
Moore was slightly faster than Sutton in the 40 at the combine but is objectively not as good of a route runner as Ridley. But the Panthers were still glad to pluck him here.
Moore was last year's Big 10 Receiver of the Year after setting a school record for receptions with 80 and amassing 1,033 receiving yards to complement eight touchdowns.
Moore plays the game similarly to former Maryland receiver and current Viking Stefon Diggs, though Moore is a tad bigger.
Moore would immediately compete for a roster spot as a complementary depth wide receiver out of camp and would likely possess the skill to leapfrog Wright, Smith and possibly Funchess as the year wears on.
Round 3 -- Tarvarius Moore, S:
Safety is another thin position for Carolina after the team watched veteran Kurt Coleman waltz to New Orleans after a slow, injury-bitten season.
The Panthers have veteran Mike Adams (37 years old) and signed Da'Norris Searcy for depth.
Those signings are a good start but the safety group is a definite work in progress.
Moore would join the team and immediately become a solid depth piece and could find himself starting over Adams or Searcy, should they falter early.
Moore was a 13-game starter for Southern Miss this past season and was an honorable mention All-Conference USA selection after registering 87 tackles, three for a loss, three interceptions and 10 pass breakups.
Round 3 -- Josh Sweat, DE:
Given the Panthers have double picks in the third round, I could see one or both of them being used as a trade chip. Since I wasn't afforded the luxury of trading picks with the CPU, let's assume the Panthers kept the selection three spots after their previous one and addressed defensive end.
Sweat, a Florida State edge rusher, is a pretty big dice roll. There are major concerns regarding his durability.
Sweat missed the beginning of the 2016 season after having knee surgery. He also missed most of his senior prep season due to injury.
When healthy, Sweat has shown a propensity for pass rushing. He started 12 games this past season and registered 56 tackles, 12.5 for a loss, 5.5 sacks and three pass breakups.
He has good athletic ability and solid size. At 6-5, 251, he's not nearly as big as veteran Julius Peppers, but he has good wingspan to use to disrupt passing lanes from the line.
Sweat is considered raw and a prospect who could benefit greatly from a mentor. He would have an excellent one in Peppers and another good one in fellow veteran Mario Addison, who should start on the respective ends in 2018.
Sweat could also soak up knowledge from second-year man Hall, who was the "other defensive end" opposite Myles Garrett at Texas A&M.
With other, more experienced roster hopefuls like Wes Horton and Bryan Cox Jr. already in the mix, Sweat might actually be hard pressed to do more than make the practice squad out of training camp. But Peppers can't play forever and as Addison proved (undrafted free agent), solid play can come from humble beginnings.
Round 5 -- Bo Scarbrough, RB:
With Jonathon Stewart heading to New York to reunite with former Panthers General Manager Dave Gettleman, finding a workhorse back becomes an important next step for Carolina.
McCaffrey is a good weapon, but not an every down, between the tackles runner.
But, Scarbrough is.
Scarbrough started at Alabama in the long shadow of 2015 Heisman Trophy winner Derrick Henry.
Scarbrough started just twice as a sophomore while Henry ran wild but he complemented the standout starter with 812 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns.
Scarbrough tore up Washington in the College Football Playoffs semifinal in 2016, amassing 180 yards and two touchdowns. He gouged the Clemson Tigers for 93 yards and a pair of scores in the first half of this past year's title game before exiting with an injury.
Scarbrough is taller than Stewart and could stand to put a little more weight on.
The door to running back is pretty open this year. With McCaffrey a shoe-in, it leaves the rest of the running game to Fozzy Whittaker and the unproven Cameron Artis-Payne.
Experts say Scarbrough would benefit from being an every-down back, getting into a rhythm with bulk carries.
He could have that in Carolina, where he could serve as the primary bruiser while McCaffrey handles the finesse and pass-catching duties.
Round 6 -- Taylor Hearn, G:
The Panthers were in the market for a guard after All-Pro Andrew Norwell followed a barrel of cash to Jacksonville earlier this offseason.
Carolina would be fine without adding a guard this season, as newly-signed Jeremiah Sirles or second-year man Taylor Moton should be fine to start opposite guard Trai Turner.
Hearn is a raw prospect but he has good size (6-5, 320 pounds).
He was a 15-game starter as a guard for the 2016 National Champion Clemson Tigers and followed that by starting every game at guard this past season and garnering third-team all-ACC honors in the process.
Hearn wouldn't start right away but he could spend time learning from Sirles, Moton and Turner. He has a long way to go to be an every-Sunday starter, but it's a sixth-round pick gamble in a position of need.
Round 7 -- Troy Fumagalli, TE:
The Panthers could use a tight end to groom behind veteran Greg Olsen, who isn't getting any younger (33).
Behind Olsen is Chris Manhertz and rookie Kent Taylor.
Fumagalli is missing the index finger on his left hand due to a birth defect but that didn't stop him from earning second-team all-Big 10 recognition as a junior at Wisconsin. During that campaign, he caught 47 passes for 580 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
Fumagalli fueled the Badgers in the Cotton Bowl that year, helping his team top Western Michigan by grabbing six receptions for 83 yards and a touchdown.
Coaches say Fumagalli has improved as a blocker-- good news for his pro-readiness.
The word on Fumagalli is he can have trouble creating separation as a route runner. Route running can be taught and let's be honest, Olsen isn't the fastest guy on the field either-- he finds his space cerebrally.
Fumagalli has good size at 6-5, 250 pounds. He's a project, but spending time behind Olsen wouldn't be the worst way for a raw prospect to develop.
Round 7 -- Braxton Berrios, WR:
Much like Carolina's pair of third rounders, I could see these sevenths (one or both) being used as part of a trade package to maneuver around the board.
If that's not the case, the Panthers could take a big dice roll on a guy late.
I like Berrios, the Miami wideout, late in this draft.
Berrios is from Raleigh and he's quite undersized. He stands 5-9 and is listed at 184 pounds-- a number that would almost certainly have to rise at the next level.
Berrios exploded into the late round draft conversation this past season as a senior. He earned third-team all-ACC honors after pacing the Hurricanes receivers with 55 receptions for 679 yards and nine touchdowns.
Berrios is small but explosive and could come into camp and compete for one of the final receiver slots on the 53.
Oh, and he also returns punts. He returned 13 for 207 yards as a senior.
coryspiers@gmail.com
It's almost that time. The 2018 NFL Draft is finally nearly upon us.
It seems like an eternity since the Panthers fell 31-26 in early January at New Orleans in the Wild Card round.
Since the season came to an abrupt halt and it was made official Carolina would pick 24th in the first round, pundits have swarmed to offer their thoughts on who would go where.
The Panthers used their top-10 pick in the previous draft to add the shifty, explosive Christian McCaffrey and addressed wide receiver (Curtis Samuel), tackle (Taylor Moton) and defensive end (Daeshon Hall) in the following rounds.
Carolina drafted a cornerback (Corn Elder), a fullback (Alex Armah) and a kicker (Harrison Butker) in the later rounds. Elder was sidelined with an injury and never saw regular season action while Armah made the practice squad and Butker was poached by Kansas City.
In this simulated mock draft I ran on Fanspeak.com, I picked some intriguing weapons for the Panthers and focused largely on addressing the team's major needs.
This mock draft is based on the most recent big board from Bleacher Report's Matt Miller. The selections for the other 31 teams were picked by the computer with individual team needs factored in. I made the Panthers selections and was not able to trade picks.
Let's break down who would fit in where in this simulated scenario.
Carolina's need for a corner was only further fueled by the news that newly-signed Bashaud Breeland failed his physical and wouldn't be permitted to sign with the Panthers earlier this offseason.
Outside of proven commodity James Bradberry, the Panthers don't have much else. Kevon Seymour returns from last year's squad with some reps under his belt and Duke product Ross Cockrell was signed this offseason to provide depth.
Last year's second corner opposite Bradberry, West Virginia product Daryl Worley, was shipped to Philadelphia in exchange for wide receiver Torrey Smith. Worley was arrested weeks after the trade, released by the Eagles and signed by the Raiders.
The nickel corner spot is occupied by Captain Munnerlyn and Elder should be able to show what he has in training camp this summer as a backup in that position.
Even still, the Panthers could use a corner and in this fantasy draft, Iowa's Josh Jackson was on the board and the team didn't think twice about pulling the trigger.
Jackson was a wide receiver as a prep baller in Texas. During his time at Iowa, he worked his way into becoming a household name as a converted corner.
Jackson redshirted in 2014 and started his career as a reserve corner with Iowa the next two seasons.
This past season saw Jackson skyrocket up the draft boards as he led the nation in interceptions (eight) and passes defended (26).
Jackson would be an immediate upgrade over Cockrell, Seymour and anyone else the Panthers have on their roster as depth pieces.
He'd soften the sting left when the Breeland signing fell through and would absolutely compete for the second starting corner job in training camp and would likely put positive heat on Bradberry for the honor of the team's lockdown corner as a rookie.
Round 2 -- D.J. Moore, WR:
The Panthers need weapons at wide receiver, there's no getting around it.
Carolina started the process of addressing that need by trading for Smith and adding free agent slot specialist Jarius Wright.
There's still plenty of work to be done, though. The additions are nice but the Panthers still lack a true number one game breaker.
Maryland's Moore was gone in the first round in a lot of mock drafts but the run on quarterbacks in the first round helped push him to Carolina in the second round in this simulation.
There's an ongoing debate even still regarding which wide receiver is the best in this year's draft between Moore, Alabama's Calvin Ridley and SMU's Courtland Sutton.
Moore was slightly faster than Sutton in the 40 at the combine but is objectively not as good of a route runner as Ridley. But the Panthers were still glad to pluck him here.
Moore was last year's Big 10 Receiver of the Year after setting a school record for receptions with 80 and amassing 1,033 receiving yards to complement eight touchdowns.
Moore plays the game similarly to former Maryland receiver and current Viking Stefon Diggs, though Moore is a tad bigger.
Moore would immediately compete for a roster spot as a complementary depth wide receiver out of camp and would likely possess the skill to leapfrog Wright, Smith and possibly Funchess as the year wears on.
Round 3 -- Tarvarius Moore, S:
Safety is another thin position for Carolina after the team watched veteran Kurt Coleman waltz to New Orleans after a slow, injury-bitten season.
The Panthers have veteran Mike Adams (37 years old) and signed Da'Norris Searcy for depth.
Those signings are a good start but the safety group is a definite work in progress.
Moore would join the team and immediately become a solid depth piece and could find himself starting over Adams or Searcy, should they falter early.
Moore was a 13-game starter for Southern Miss this past season and was an honorable mention All-Conference USA selection after registering 87 tackles, three for a loss, three interceptions and 10 pass breakups.
Round 3 -- Josh Sweat, DE:
Given the Panthers have double picks in the third round, I could see one or both of them being used as a trade chip. Since I wasn't afforded the luxury of trading picks with the CPU, let's assume the Panthers kept the selection three spots after their previous one and addressed defensive end.
Sweat, a Florida State edge rusher, is a pretty big dice roll. There are major concerns regarding his durability.
Sweat missed the beginning of the 2016 season after having knee surgery. He also missed most of his senior prep season due to injury.
When healthy, Sweat has shown a propensity for pass rushing. He started 12 games this past season and registered 56 tackles, 12.5 for a loss, 5.5 sacks and three pass breakups.
He has good athletic ability and solid size. At 6-5, 251, he's not nearly as big as veteran Julius Peppers, but he has good wingspan to use to disrupt passing lanes from the line.
Sweat is considered raw and a prospect who could benefit greatly from a mentor. He would have an excellent one in Peppers and another good one in fellow veteran Mario Addison, who should start on the respective ends in 2018.
Sweat could also soak up knowledge from second-year man Hall, who was the "other defensive end" opposite Myles Garrett at Texas A&M.
With other, more experienced roster hopefuls like Wes Horton and Bryan Cox Jr. already in the mix, Sweat might actually be hard pressed to do more than make the practice squad out of training camp. But Peppers can't play forever and as Addison proved (undrafted free agent), solid play can come from humble beginnings.
Round 5 -- Bo Scarbrough, RB:
With Jonathon Stewart heading to New York to reunite with former Panthers General Manager Dave Gettleman, finding a workhorse back becomes an important next step for Carolina.
McCaffrey is a good weapon, but not an every down, between the tackles runner.
But, Scarbrough is.
Scarbrough started at Alabama in the long shadow of 2015 Heisman Trophy winner Derrick Henry.
Scarbrough started just twice as a sophomore while Henry ran wild but he complemented the standout starter with 812 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns.
Scarbrough tore up Washington in the College Football Playoffs semifinal in 2016, amassing 180 yards and two touchdowns. He gouged the Clemson Tigers for 93 yards and a pair of scores in the first half of this past year's title game before exiting with an injury.
Scarbrough is taller than Stewart and could stand to put a little more weight on.
The door to running back is pretty open this year. With McCaffrey a shoe-in, it leaves the rest of the running game to Fozzy Whittaker and the unproven Cameron Artis-Payne.
Experts say Scarbrough would benefit from being an every-down back, getting into a rhythm with bulk carries.
He could have that in Carolina, where he could serve as the primary bruiser while McCaffrey handles the finesse and pass-catching duties.
Round 6 -- Taylor Hearn, G:
The Panthers were in the market for a guard after All-Pro Andrew Norwell followed a barrel of cash to Jacksonville earlier this offseason.
Carolina would be fine without adding a guard this season, as newly-signed Jeremiah Sirles or second-year man Taylor Moton should be fine to start opposite guard Trai Turner.
Hearn is a raw prospect but he has good size (6-5, 320 pounds).
He was a 15-game starter as a guard for the 2016 National Champion Clemson Tigers and followed that by starting every game at guard this past season and garnering third-team all-ACC honors in the process.
Hearn wouldn't start right away but he could spend time learning from Sirles, Moton and Turner. He has a long way to go to be an every-Sunday starter, but it's a sixth-round pick gamble in a position of need.
Round 7 -- Troy Fumagalli, TE:
The Panthers could use a tight end to groom behind veteran Greg Olsen, who isn't getting any younger (33).
Behind Olsen is Chris Manhertz and rookie Kent Taylor.
Fumagalli is missing the index finger on his left hand due to a birth defect but that didn't stop him from earning second-team all-Big 10 recognition as a junior at Wisconsin. During that campaign, he caught 47 passes for 580 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
Fumagalli fueled the Badgers in the Cotton Bowl that year, helping his team top Western Michigan by grabbing six receptions for 83 yards and a touchdown.
Coaches say Fumagalli has improved as a blocker-- good news for his pro-readiness.
The word on Fumagalli is he can have trouble creating separation as a route runner. Route running can be taught and let's be honest, Olsen isn't the fastest guy on the field either-- he finds his space cerebrally.
Fumagalli has good size at 6-5, 250 pounds. He's a project, but spending time behind Olsen wouldn't be the worst way for a raw prospect to develop.
Round 7 -- Braxton Berrios, WR:
Much like Carolina's pair of third rounders, I could see these sevenths (one or both) being used as part of a trade package to maneuver around the board.
If that's not the case, the Panthers could take a big dice roll on a guy late.
I like Berrios, the Miami wideout, late in this draft.
Berrios is from Raleigh and he's quite undersized. He stands 5-9 and is listed at 184 pounds-- a number that would almost certainly have to rise at the next level.
Berrios exploded into the late round draft conversation this past season as a senior. He earned third-team all-ACC honors after pacing the Hurricanes receivers with 55 receptions for 679 yards and nine touchdowns.
Berrios is small but explosive and could come into camp and compete for one of the final receiver slots on the 53.
Oh, and he also returns punts. He returned 13 for 207 yards as a senior.
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