In this series, I will be previewing a few of the draft picks and how I believe they can contribute in their rookie year. Following the draft order, Curtis Samuel is second on our list. The 5-foot 11-inch, 196 pound former Buckeye is reminiscent of Ted Ginn Jr; another Ohio State alum who found success in Carolina. Like Ginn, Samuel enters his rookie year as a raw wide receiver with instant playmaking potential due to his speed and instincts. However, Samuel differs from Ginn in a few ways. While in Carolina, Ginn became known for his hit or miss hands that could turn a wide open 60-yard touchdown into a punt or turn an overthrown sideline pass into a 50 yard touchdown. While Samuel tends to catch the ball with his body more frequently than you would desire, he rarely drops passes and shows a penchant for going up and getting passes at their highest points. While Ginn was asked to run mostly “go” or “nine” routes due to his speed; Samuel has instinctual route running ability that should be able to be developed easily into the capacity to run multiple route trees.

Athleticism

Curtis Samuel is a rare blend of speed, explosion and power. Had Samuel not run directly after Cincinnati Bengals’ rookie John Ross torched a 4.22 40-yard dash and broken the NFL Combine record then we would have heard a lot more predraft chatter about Samuel’s 4.31 time. If you combine that speed, which is his actual play speed, with his acceleration out of breaks and quick feet and you get a player who can leave defenders scratching their heads and struggling to keep up.

Passing Game Impact

The Panthers allowed both of their speed receivers (Ted Ginn and Philly/Corey Brown) to walk in free agency before signing wide receivers Charles Johnson and Russell Shepard as replacements. Shepard was brought in to solidify special teams and act as a supplementary piece in the passing game, while Johnson was brought in for his size and speed to act as both a deep threat and possession receiver. Neither Shepard nor Johnson possess the speed that Samuel does. Samuel will battle Shepard and Johnson for slot receiver duties but should be the go to speed option in his rookie year.  His route running, as displayed below, should enable him to create separation; watch him freeze the defender in one-on-one coverage out of the slot, make the catch and put on the burners to the endzone. Plays like this are the reason he was drafted.

Furthermore the Panthers will want to get him on the field as frequently as possible because of his ability to block and be a threat on screen plays. 

Running Game Impact

While Samuel isn’t going to be the feature back in Carolina, or even be the second option thanks to Christian McCaffrey being drafted, he will make an impact on the rushing game. He will likely replace Ginn as the option on Jet Sweeps, pitch plays and triple option runs. He possesses enough power to fight off weaker defenders and his speed, acceleration and ability to read blocks will create a serious problem for defenses. As a rusher Samuel can get caught trying to create something out of nothing and instead falls for a loss. Moving forward, if Samuel takes what the defense gives him, then he will see an increase in touches and trust from the coaching staff.

Conclusion

Curtis Samuel would be considered a unique piece in any offense. The fact that the Panthers now possess three unique offensive pieces in Samuel, McCaffrey and Cam Newton is thrilling to think about. My ideal formation would be a double split pistol formation with Jonathan Stewart, McCaffrey and Samuel in the backfield with Newton while Kelvin Benjamin and Greg Olsen are split wide. The Panthers could then audible into almost any formation or play from there and force the defense to play perfectly in order to make a stop. Samuel’s ability to be a solid runner, split wide and be a deep threat, or go over the middle with precise routes will make it very difficult for the Panthers to keep him off the field in 2017.

Sean Mauk

Senior Analyst

Sean Mauk is a Senior Analyst at The Riot Report. He likes bananas and still wears his Mike Minter jersey. You can follow Sean on Twitter @MaukDraft.