3 big takeaways from the Panthers’ 2021 draft
Hey, Carolina Panthers fans—did this draft feel particularly different to you? Like, did it feel a little . . . special? It did, didn’t? Good, I’m glad I’m not the only one who felt it.
That mood became palpable rather early, when general manager Scott Fitterer had you all abuzz on the social media machines. Whether it was the the head-spinning rate of trades or the perceived steals they got in the process, the Panthers seemed to knock this one out of the park.
But what can we take away most from the successful flurry of activity? Here are the three major takeaways from what could be looked back on as a watershed moment for the franchise.
The Panthers like Jaycee Horn (a lot)
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Duh. They took the kid with the eighth overall pick in the draft, so they must like him, right? Well, of course. But given how many boxes he checks as far as what the organization is looking for, Horn is coming into Carolina with a considerable amount of fans in the building and a particularly high set of expectations. For one, he may represent the missing piece to what has become a borderline-meteoric rise on defense. Just a year ago, the Panthers were frighteningly barren on the depth chart, with names such as Corn Elder, Stephen Weatherly and Woodrow Hamilton in line for starting spots. Hell, they even had to spend an entire draft on the defensive side just to field enough bodies. Now, they've pieced together a more than formidable personnel over that time, currently boasting the likes of Brian Burns, Derrick Brown and Yetur Gross-Matos on the line. Their linebacking corps is much more defined as well, with Shaq Thompson ready to line up next to Haason Reddick and Denzel Perryman. All that was left to fill in the secondary alongside Jeremy Chinn and Donte Jackson was a true No. 1 corner. And they believe they have him. Horn should be that man from day one, given his exceptional mix of length (6-foot-1 with 33-inch arms), technique and a swagger this defense has been missing. He's also a special athlete, as his Relative Athletic Score (RAS) of 9.99 ranked him second amongst all 1,790 cornerbacks recorded since 1987, and has been thoroughly battle-tested against some of the very best the college game has had to offer. Oh, and one more small detail: They passed up on Ohio State University quarterback Justin Fields in favor of Horn. He must be quite the catch if they picked him over a tantalizing talent at the sport's most important position like Fields, who the team reportedly had as their second-highest rated quarterback prospect in the class. So, there will be a lot of pressure weighing on this pick to pan out.
Sam Darnold is the guy, unless . . .
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Passing up on Fields also means that Sam Darnold is indeed their franchsie quarterback. So, however you want to slice it, this brain trust is more comfortable with Darnold than Fields. *ironically insert slightly smiling face emoji here* They didn't even opt for any type of rookie competition either, having watched the remaining quarterback prospects plucked off the board the rest of the way out. No Kyle Trask, no Kellen Mond, no Davis Mills and not even Jamie Newman as a flyer via free agency after the draft. Carolina is very much in on this reclamation project that is Darnold. And if they're successful in turning him around, tapping into the above-average arm talent and pocket presence we saw in his University of Southern California days, it'll be one hell of a feat considering the overwhelming amount of disappointing play he put on with the New York Jets. The only other viable (used loosely) option to this point, would be a trade for Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson pending his ongoing litigation. If an end to his legal matters is met sooner rather than later, owner David Tepper could look to put his foot on the pedal once again in his hot pursuit for the superstar. But tha, is an uncertain and unfortunate situation that needs resolving on its own before any idea of a move is entertained. For now, Darnold will get the keys to the offense and will be doing so with some added help through this draft. Second-round pick in wide receiver Terrace Marshall Jr. and the pair of third-rounders in tackle Brady Christensen and tight end Tommy Tremble will join what's become a potent offense that already has Christian McCaffrey, Robby Anderson and DJ Moore on the depth chart.
Matt Rhule and Scott Fitterer are on the same page
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One of Matt Rhule's most notable tasks on his checklist when he was hired was to integrate and place an emphasis the use of athletic testing. He also put emphasis, more recently, on his desire to accumulate picks in this year's draft. With the team rebuilding, it doesn't hurt to add some depth and competition to the roster. Well, general manager Scott Fitterer seems to agree, at least based on what he just did in his first draft at the helm. Not only did he stockpile picks like Rhule wanted, but he even drafted a batch of freaks with the added ammunition. Fitterer etched his name in the franchise record books already, having made the most draft weekend trades (five) in adding up to tie for the most picks (11) in team history. And of those 11 picks, six scored in the green well over an RAS of 8.0—Horn (9.99), Christensen (9.84), Marshall Jr. (9.77), Tremble (8.91), Chuba Hubbard (8.44) and Daviyon Nixon (8.38). Much of the rest weren't bad either, with Shi Smith (6.79), Phil Hoskins (6.67) and Keith Taylor (6.54) testing out nicely, too. Hell, even the long snapper Thomas Fletcher, for whatever the athleticism of a long snapper is worth, even hit a 6.74. Whether you agree with the approach or not, Rhule and Fitterer share a similar vision and they've been pretty transparent about it. They are who we thought they were . . . or at least they are who they told us they were. [vertical-gallery id=636321]
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