Predictions on this year’s NFL Draft picks
Photo by USA Today
By Collin Giuliani, Staff Writer//
Following a loss to the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl 50, the Carolina Panthers are looking to return in 2016 and win their first Super Bowl in franchise history. The recent success of the Panthers has come primarily through the NFL Draft.
In 2011, the team drafted quarterback Cam Newton with the first overall pick, who was named MVP of the league in 2015. And, in 2012 the team drafted linebacker Luke Kuechly with their first round pick, who won the NFL Defensive Player of the Year award in 2013.
The Panthers can continue their success with a solid draft in 2016. Here are three positions that the Panthers will likely target in the 2016 NFL Draft. Cornerback: The biggest story of the offseason for the Carolina Panthers was the surprising release of cornerback Josh Norman. Earlier in the offseason, the Panthers applied the franchise tag on Norman, meaning that Norman would remain with the Panthers for one more season while the two sides tried to get a long-term deal done.
However, more than one month later, general manager Dave Gettleman stated, “After a number of conversation with Josh’s agent, we realized that a long-term deal was not attainable.” According to CBS Sports writer Joel Corry, the last time that a team rescinded a franchise tag was when the Seahawks rescinded the tag on Leroy Hill in 2009. This is only the second time in the past 10 years that the tag has been rescinded, making this, according to NFL.com writer Gregg Rosenthal, “One of the most stunning NFL developments we’ve seen in a long time.”
Due to the loss of Norman, the Panthers will now have to address the cornerback position in the draft. The Panthers have six picks in this draft, and their first pick is pick number 30 (there are only 31 picks in the first round because the New England Patriots lost their first round pick as punishment for DeflateGate). If the Panthers want to address cornerback with their first pick in the draft, two possible options include Mackensie Alexander out of Clemson, and Kendall Fuller out of Virginia Tech.
Despite the fact that Alexander has never recorded an interception at Clemson, he was one of the best defenders on a Clemson team that came within a game of winning the College Football Playoff. Fuller led the Atlantic Coast Conference in interceptions in 2013, but could be a risky pick since he is coming off of a torn meniscus. Cornerback is a position that the Panthers will have to address in this draft after the news involving Norman. Wide Receiver: T
he good news for Carolina in 2016 is that Kelvin Benjamin returns to the active roster. After becoming the eleventh rookie wide receiver in NFL history to have 1,000 receiving yards in a season in 2014, he missed the 2015 season with a torn ACL. However, while the Panthers are getting their 2014 first round pick back, the team still has holes at wide receiver. The leading wide receiver on the Panthers last season was Ted Ginn Jr., who had 44 receptions for 739 yards. Of all the players listed in the NFL at wide receiver, Ginn Jr. was ranked 41st in the league in receiving yards. No other player listed as a wide receiver on the Panthers had more than 500 receiving yards. While not as high of a priority as cornerback, the Panthers will likely take a receiver in this draft to complement Benjamin.
On the second day of the draft, some possible targets for the Panthers include Kenny Lawler, a wide receiver out of California who had 13 touchdowns last season and Leonte Carroo, a wide receiver out of Rutgers who recorded 1,895 receiving yards and 20 touchdowns in his final two seasons with the program. Defensive End: In Super Bowl 50, the starting defensive ends for the Carolina Panthers were Jared Allen and Charles Johnson. After finishing his career with 136 sacks (ninth all-time in NFL history), Allen retired at the end of the season.
Meanwhile, Johnson had a rough season. He finished with just one sack (his lowest total since 2007), spent part of the season on injured reserve with a hamstring strain and was released by the team at the end of the season before being brought back on a cheaper contract. Kony Ealy’s role in the defense will increase in 2016, following a Super Bowl where he tied the record for most sacks in the game with three. However, the Panthers need to draft a defensive end to not only add depth to the defensive line, but possibly replace Johnson, who is only on a one year contract. If the Panthers decide to take a defensive end in the first round, then Kevin Dodd out of Clemson is a possible target.
Dodd finished first in the ACC in sacks this past season with 12.5, and had three sacks and five tackles for a loss in the National Championship Game against Alabama. If the Panthers decide to wait until the second day to draft one, then Carl Nassib out of Penn State could be chosen. Nassib led the NCAA in sacks this past season with 16, and was named the 2015 Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year. Expect the Panthers to take at least one defensive end in the 2016 NFL Draft.