Dennis Walsh Shoots His Shot
Round 1 (16) – Andre Dillard, OT Washington State
As sure as I was that the Panthers were going to take an edge rusher all winter, I’ve recently hopped on the offensive tackle train – if available – for a number of reasons. One large reason being the board. This pick comes with Brian Burns, my top selection among others, already chosen. The more important factor however, is the Panthers strong need for a true left tackle. The amount of starting caliber tackles, let alone starting caliber left tackles, has me worried that if you’re going to find your immediate impact guy, it might need to be in round 1. Also, the amount of Panthers front office present at Dillard’s pro day and additional visit seems to be along the lines of the interest they showed in last year’s 24th pick of DJ Moore. It’s clear Taylor Moton played much better at RT last season as the other bookend, but however you want to slice it this would create a competition for the inside between Williams/Moton and Van Roten which, on paper, is a world of improvement from last year. Imagine Cam Newton having time to throw? Dillard, Williams, Paradis, Turner and Moton seems like a group that could achieve just that.
Round 2 (47) – Darnell Savage, S Maryland
This might be slightly higher than a team would ideally want to take Savage, but the Panthers have a glaring hole and an even bigger question as to who will line up alongside Eric Reid in 2019. With the release of Mike Adams this offseason, going into the season with Da’Norris Searcy, Colin Jones and/or Rashaan Gaulden (maybe? Is he still a safety?) as the only options on the roster seems like a less than ideal situation. Savage, a heavy hitting ball hawk known to match up well with slot WRs and TEs, also has the ability to make up ground quickly and could be just what the Panthers need in an area that was a thorn in their side time and time again in 2018. Tre Boston’s name has popped up this offseason, but finding a sure starting safety in this draft could also free up almost $2M if the team decides they can move on from Searcy who was sidelined with concussions in 2018. Regardless, being able to get a SAVAGE Panthers jersey is pretty sweet.
Round 3 (77) – Maxx Crosby, EDGE Eastern Michigan
With the depth in the edge class this draft and the elite edge rushers likely being out of reach (unless they trade up?), the Panthers can afford to be patient on day 2 if their players come off the board and still get a player they’re pretty high on after addressing other needs. Historically, the top three Panthers picks have usually come along with visits and Crosby checks the boxes after meeting with the Panthers for the second time last week in Charlotte. Quick hands, great burst off the snap, and the ability to run down the ballcarrier are among the skills that could make Crosby an impact on the defensive line Week 1. Crosby tested very well too, posting a 6.89 3-cone and 4.13 20-yd shuttle, which were both good enough for second in the Edge group. There are many questions about what a Panthers 3-4 defense could really look like, but the addition of Bruce Irvin (6-3, 250 pounds) may at least show the body type the Panthers are looking for on the edges. Crosby’s 6-5, 255 pound frame and 4.66 40 time would seem to fit that.
Round 3 (100) – Darrell Henderson, RB Memphis
Earlier this month, SI’s Conor Orr joined our podcast and spoke about why he thinks the Panthers currently have the third best running back situation in the NFL behind the Saints and Giants. Even though the position is essentially just Christian McCaffrey taking every snap with no great backup plan, Conor stressed that going into the third year of his rookie deal, CMC is still such a massive value. While that’s true and the Panthers seemingly could not find a way to really implement a two-back system with CJ Anderson, I still chalk a little bit of that up to maybe not finding the right guy and don’t think the Panthers should stop looking to bolster their backfield further in 2019. Running back value continues to be found in the later rounds and with the right board on day 2, the Panthers could find a tough player to pass on in Henderson at either 77 or 100. Granted, Henderson did not have an official visit with the Panthers, but he certainly brings the tools to be a dynamic offensive weapon. Henderson also leads the 2019 running class in yards created per attempt and yards per route run with Memphis splitting him out as a WR on 23% of their routes. Primarily used as a screen and swing receiver, he has the ability to shine in space while also bringing the power and balance to give McCaffrey not only a breather once in a while, but also that plan B that we won’t speak about.
Round 4 (115) – Mark Fields CB Clemson
With the release of veteran DB Captain Munnerlyn this offseason, the nickel position certainly has a lot of question marks around it. Will Cockrell, Elder or Gaulden be able to step up to the plate? Do the Panthers still not really have a clear nickel solution going into 2019? Would Donte Jackson ever move to the inside? Would it even work? All of these questions make the Twitter GM in me want to address the position further in this draft while also looking for versatility. Fields, although not a full time starter for Clemson, shined in the National Championship game vs Alabama in his last college hurrah this past January. His 4.3 speed and ability to run with the best could find Fields competing for the slot position early in Carolina. Many scouts also feel he was the best pure cover player in the Southeast among seniors this year – per Reese’s Senior Bowl Executive Director Jim Nagy.
Round 5 (154) – Phil Haynes iOL Wake Forest
With both Daryl Williams and Greg Van Roten pending free agents next season, it would probably be a good idea to address the interior line sooner than later. Raleigh native Phil Haynes started at both left and right guard for the Demon Deacons, bringing power in both pass and run protection. As a slightly raw pickup, Haynes brings a lot of muscle to the line and to the combine too – where he put up the fifth highest bench press reps at 33. I ran this mock a few times and was surprised to see Phil around this late in all of them. Phil has also shown on tape he is quick to pick up stunts and/or delayed blitzers while adding some bite to an offensive line with his play style.
Round 6 (187) – Demarcus Christmas IDL Florida State
The Panthers were able to bring back Kyle Love to the interior of their defensive line last week, but with the uncertainty around Poe and the rest of the tackle depth, I used the Panthers last pick to look for a player to develop on the inside. Demarcus Christmas stands out to me as the guy who could be just that. Christmas shows both the block-shedding ability (even double teams) to be a solid run defender and the ability to attack the ball at the line of scrimmage with six batted passes last year for Florida State. Another trait that stands out about Christmas is the effort he gives on each play. Time and time again on tape, Christmas is shown chasing QBs and HB tosses down the field from his iDL position. Developing defensive tackles might not have the greatest history in Carolina, but it’s beginning to look a lot like……Demarcus that could round that out for the Panthers.
Up Next: Antwan Staley Takes An Early Wide Receiver
Twitter: @KeepPounDENN
