The Panthers have drafted three receivers over the past four years, but with Curtis Samuel expected to sign elsewhere in free agency that will leave DJ Moore as the only receiver drafted by the Panthers left on the roster. While this isn’t necessarily a problem, as teams can augment their receiving corps using free agency, as the Panthers did a year ago with the signing of Robby Anderson, but unless you are consistently able to spot players that other teams don’t value or willing to consistently spend big for wide receiver depths, it is hard to fill-out a receiver rotation without drafting effectively at the position.
With that in mind, while the Panthers don’t need to find a new feature receiver in the 2021 draft, they should be looking to add quality depth to their existing receiver group. With that in mind, what does the 2021 draft class have to offer and who would be same players to keep an eye on for the Panthers as we get closer to the draft itself?
What Do We Look For At Receiver?
As with every position group, athletic traits are an important part of the evaluation. Players with the deep speed to separate vertically are always going to have value, as are those with the quickness and change of direction to create separation at the head of routes and across the field. Players also benefit from having the physical strength to deal with contact through their routes and at the line, and this is especially important for those expected to play on the outside where they are likely to see more consistent press coverage.
Catching the ball is obviously an important consideration, and the better prospects will not just consistently end up with the ball in their possession, but will also show the ability to make catches extending away from their frame and the strength to keep hold of the ball through contact. While it is not a necessary trait for success, players who are able to compete for the ball in the air at the catch point are also going to add value. Similarly, while ability after the catch isn’t a requirement, players who can consistently make a man miss and adds yards after the catch are going to add value.
Photo Credit: Brandon Todd/Carolina Panthers
The key characteristic for receivers beyond being able to catch the ball, however, is the ability to create separation. There are different ways of doing this, and while the very top prospects will be able to do all of them, players can be very good indeed without having that complete skill set. Some players will be able to use their speed to create consistent vertical separation and then use the threat of that to then create separation underneath.
Others look to create separation as route runners, and this is really where the very best prospects make their mark. They show the ability to get off the line quickly against press coverage, and are able to do so in a variety of different ways to prevent defensive backs being able to single in on one specific release, and when they get into their routes they have the ability to carry momentum through sharp high-speed cuts and at the head of routes show an understanding of how to manipulate leverage and how to set-up cuts to maximize the separation they get.
Photo Credit: Carolina Panthers
Of course, a lot of college receivers won’t have run a particularly diverse route tree, and many will not have faced a huge amount of press coverage through college, and so for these prospects a certain level of projection is required. However, mastery of a limited route tree is far more encouraging than running a much larger route tree poorly. It’s also nice to see players who are effective blockers, though this is ultimately not what you are going to draft receivers for, and in some schemes this is just not something players have been asked to do.
How players add value varies significantly, and while they very top prospects are able to do most things well, outside of that there is something of a split between well-rounded players who lack the quality to be high-end starters at the NFL level and those who are very good in some areas but who have areas of their game they struggle with. These prospects are either players who are going to contribute as rotation pieces or those who are more developmental options.
Photo Credit: Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports
So What Does The 2021 Draft Have To Offer?
| Name | College | Height | Weight | Athleticism | Hands | YAC | Route Running and Release | Blocking | Questions | Grade | Ranking |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rashod Bateman | Minnesota | 6'2 | 210 | Really nice quickness with good deep speed and pretty good physicality, changes direction well at speed as well. | Really good hands, adjusting well to the ball even when away from his frame and through contact and really pretty good at the catch point | Isn't super shifty laterally but explosive when running downhill with nice subtle change of direction | Works well against press by pushing vertically early with tight footwork. Uses threat of speed well throughout diverse route tree, and shows an excellent high speed vertical cut though can be a bit clunkier when decelerating. Shows a really nice and nuanced feel for leverage. | Could do with bending his knees a little more but uses hands well and sets a good base | Can he continue to develop his route running at the head of underneath routes to allow him to dominate the full route tree? | Mid 1st Round | 1 |
| DeVonta Smith | Alabama | 6'0 | 175 | Gets up to speed quickly with good change of direction and has great vertical speed though isn’t hugely physical | Really good hands with the ability to make catches away from his frame and does surprisingly well in congested areas and has a decent ability to make plays at the catch point | Pretty dangerous after the catch with ability to exploit leverage and a nice hesitation move | Uses footwork well to generate leverage against press. Intelligent in finding space in zone, and while he does tend to round sharp cuts at high speed he shows a nice ability to make subtle changes of direction and exploit leverage but will need to show that he can create space with footwork underneath | Willing blocker and shows decent technique but size limits him | Can he become an effective and consistent underneath route runner to pair with his ability to work with speed vertically and laterally? | Mid 1st Round | 2 |
| Ja'Marr Chase | LSU | 6'0 | 208 | Really good quickness and deep speed with surprising physicality for a player of his size but is more shifty than agile in terms of his lateral movement | Really good hands with the ability to make catches away from his frame as well as through contact and shows a high level ability to create receptions at the catch point | Quickness and elusiveness really stand out with the ability to add consistent yardage after the catch | Oversteps a little against press but consistently is able to generate leverage at the line. Doesn't make particularly special cuts but shows create body control and does a great job of exploiting and creating leverage through routes. Route tree could do with expanding somewhat. | Base is too narrow but uses hands well to allow him to hold ground if nothing else | Can he win consistently enough as a route runner to be an every down threat as opposed to a consistent explosive option? | Late 1st Round | 3 |
| Kadarius Toney | Florida | 5'11 | 194 | Really nice quickness and change of direction with pretty good deep speed though isn't hugely physical | Good hands with the ability to make catches away from his frame and does a pretty good job of holding on through contact but doesn't add much at the catch point | Really impressive after the catch with good elusiveness and surprising contact balance for his size | Ran a pretty full route tree and while he didn't face a ton of press coverage he shows some really nice things as a route runner and is really effective at the head of routes with flashes of some really high-level route running traits | Enthusiastic and uses hands reasonably well but needs to sort his footwork out | Does he have the vertical speed to offer significant threat down the field or is he going to make his money on intermediate routes? | Mid 2nd Round | 4 |
| Jaylen Waddle | Alabama | 5'10 | 182 | Really good deep speed with good quickness and a nice change of direction though isn't especially physical | Pretty good hands with some ability to make plays away from his frame and through contact but there are some drops (esp. through contact) and doesn't add anything in the air | Extremely dangerous with great athleticism and a nice ability to make a man miss in space | Didn't face a ton of press and mostly relied on speed to create separation either vertically or laterally. He did flashes some really nice high speed cuts over a reasonably limited route tree but this needs to be built upon. Doesn't yet show high level route running nuances in terms of leverage. | Uses hands ok but base and knee bend are in need of improvement | Can he turn flashes of elite route running into consistent separation to allow him to be a real threat in intermediate areas? | Late 2nd Round | 5 |
| Amari Rodgers | Clemson | 5'10 | 210 | Pretty good quickness and deep speed with good change of direction and is reasonably physical, especially for his size | Good hands with the ability to make catches away from his frame and through contact and does add something at the catch point though this isn't a massive plus | Really pretty good after the catch with good contact balance and elusiveness and should be a real factor on screens and the like | Didn't run the fullest route tree and certainly didn't face much press but shows some nice things and his sharp change of direction and quickness offer real potential at the head of routes though needs to show he can apply this to a fuller route tree | Really pretty good blocker with good footwork and active hands | Can he develop into a plus route runner down the field as this would take his game to a new level? | Early 3rd Round | 6 |
| Anthony Schwartz | Auburn | 6'0 | 179 | Good quickness and deep speed and while his physicality is merely average his change of direction seems pretty good | Can make catches away from his frame and while he is ok dealing with contact he isn't going to add much in the air | Has the physical skills to be good but seems a little overambitious at times rather than just taking what is there | Uses quickness well to generate leverage against press but needs to develop tighter footwork at the line. Route tree was reasonably complex and showed an ability to used speed to create underneath space as well as burst to create space underneath. Needs some more development and polish though | Wasn't really asked to block a ton so hard to judge | Can he continue to develop as a route runner to be a genuine complete threat from the slot? | Mid 3rd Round | 7 |
| D'Wayne Eskridge | Western Michigan | 5'9 | 190 | Good quickness and chance of direction with pretty good deep speed and decent but not spectacular physicality | Pretty good hands with some ability to make plays away from his frame and the occasional flash at the catch point but there are some arm catches in there as well | Good after the catch with the quickness and change of direction to make him a real threat on screens and the like | Didn’t face a ton of press and didn't run the fullest route tree but has good physical tools as a route runner and does show occasional flashes of higher level traits while he shows a nice ability to work off press though he needs to show variety in this regard | Shows good footwork as a blocker and is very enthusiastic but needs to engage hands more | Can he turn the talent he flashes as a route runner into consistent separation down the field? | Mid 3rd Round | 8 |
| Jaelon Darden | North Texas | 5'9 | 172 | Really good quickness and change of direction with pretty good good speed but isn't very physical | Good hands with the ability to adjust to throws away from his frame but isn't anything remarkable through contact and doesn't really add anything at the catch point | Really very good after the catch with great elusiveness and the ability to make a man miss in space | Isn't going to excel against press and did run a reasonably limited route tree but shows some nice things in terms of change of direction and ability to generate leverage at the head of routes though this needs further development | Wasn't asked to block a ton and technique is fairly raw. | Can he turn the flashes he shows as a short and intermediate route runner into consistent separation at the NFL level? | Late 3rd Round | 9 |
| Rondale Moore | Purdue | 5'9 | 180 | Really good quickness and agility with good deep speed but is not super physical, unsurprising given his size and stature, but certainly isn't contact shy | Good hands with the ability to make plays away from his frame with consistency and is able to hold on through contact but doesn't add anything in the air. | Quickness and agility make him a real threat and contact balance is also pretty good as well | Wasn't asked to face a ton of press and didn't run the fullest route tree either. Does a really nice job of changing speed and creating space at the route head with a decent high speed cut, but would like to see him do it consistently over a wider route tree. | Wasn't asked to block a ton and technique is fairly raw. | Is he going to be able to do enough in the 10-20 yard range to make up for the lack of pure deep threat and lack of short wins? | Early 4th Round | 10 |
| Tyler Vaughns | USC | 6'1 | 185 | Pretty good quickness though deep speed is decent but nothing remarkable, has the size to hold his own through routes but isn't dominant in that regard | Good hands with the ability to make contested throws and shows consistent ability to catch the ball away from his frame, but is nothing special in the air | Doesn't add a huge amount after the catch compared to what is there | Runs quite hot and cold against press and needs to become a bit more reactive. Didn't run the fullest route tree but makes nice cuts at speed and shows both the ability to accelerate out of the head of routes and to readjust based on leverage. | Didn't block a ton and technique needs work though power is decent | Can he run a wider variety of routes underneath well enough to be a consistent possession option? | Mid 4th Round | 11 |
| Cade Johnson | South Dakota State | 5'10 | 180 | Pretty good quickness and deep speed and while he isn't very physical he shows a reasonably nice change of direction | Shows good hands with the ability to make plays away from his frame but isn't going to add much in the air and ability through contact is fine but no more | Is really shifty after the catch and while he doesn’t make a ton of tacklers miss he does add consistent value after the catch | Didn't face a ton of press and is likely to be best suited to playing in the slot but did show occasional flashes of ability to work through contact and ran a reasonably full route tree with flashes of higher-level subtleties though will need to build further on them | Isn't unenthusiastic as a blocker but is fairly raw technically and lacks much natural aptitude | Can he continue to apply to flashes he showed as route runner to a wider route tree and build upon them? | Mid 4th Round | 12 |
| Dyami Brown | North Carolina | 6'1 | 185 | Pretty good quickness with good deep speed but isn't hugely physical though change of direction looks promising. | Pretty good hands with the ability to make catches away from his frame but doesn't add much at the catch point or through contact. | Has the shiftiness and quickness to be a threat after the catch but hasn't been used enough in this way to be sure of vision and footwork | Hasn't faced a ton of press and really doesn't run much of a route tree. Odd flashes of being able to create leverage down the field but doesn't create any consistent separation as a route runner at this point. | Does a decent job of locating hands but base is far too narrow | Can he turn physical potential into high level route running over an NFL route tree? | Mid 4th Round | 13 |
| Tamorrion Terry | Florida State | 6'4 | 210 | Decent-to-good quickness and pretty good deep speed with the frame to handle contact through routes and pretty good change of direction | Really good hands with the ability to create receptions at the catch point and to make catches both away from his frame and through contact | Has some shiftiness and does a decent job of manufacturing leverage but isn't going to be a massive asset in this regard | Shows some nice footwork against press though could stand to improve further. Didn't run the fullest route tree and can be a bit clunky when decelerating buts does a really nice job of attacking vertically and shows a nice ability to generate leverage down the field | Sets a pretty good base and locates hands well but knee bend is in need of improvement | Can he continue to develop as a route runner to add nuance to his natural ability to threaten deep | Late 4th Round | 14 |
| Tutu Atwell | Louisville | 5'9 | 165 | Pretty good quickness and deep speed with decent-to-good change of direction but is not at all physical | Good hands with the ability to make catches away from his frame and is reasonably good through contact for his size but isn't going to add anything at the catch point | Is pretty shifty with ball in hand and while he isn't going to break many tackles he can be a factor on screens and the like | Didn't run the fullest route tree and certainly isn't going to fare very well against press on the outside but flashes some nice things working vertically but will need to show he can be effective working laterally at the head of routes | Actually a pretty effective blocker with good hand placement and decent footwork | Can he create consistent separation from the slot at different levels of the field? | Late 4th Round | 15 |
| Tylan Wallace | Oklahoma State | 6'0 | 185 | Decent-to-good speed and quickness but neither are stand-out traits at the NFL level, physicality is fairly mediocre | Really good hands with the ability to make catches both away from his frame and through contact, though he doesn't add much in the air. | Really good after the catch with good contact balance, quickness and change of direction | Didn't face a ton of press so this is hard to judge. Route tree was fairly limited but made nice sharp cuts though wasn't really asked to separate consistently as a route runner at the head of routes | Willing blocker and uses arms well but footwork needs work | Can he be an effective route runner over an NFL route tree or is he going to be a zone beater/screen guy? | Late 4th Round | 16 |
| Sage Surratt | Wake Forest | 6'3 | 215 | Pretty good quickness and deep speed and is reasonably physical though change of direction isn't great | Really good hands with the ability to make catches away from his frame and through contact with some ability to go get the ball at the catch point | Doesn't really add anything after the catch beyond what is there | Decent footwork against press though a bit over-steppy. Didn't run the fullest route tree and is not hugely quick out of his breaks but does a good job of exploiting leverage to create separation at the head of routes | Base is a bit narrow at times but otherwise good with good hand placement | Can he be effective as a big slot with a larger route tree to work with? | Early 5th Round | 17 |
| Ihmir Smith-Marsette | Iowa | 6'1 | 179 | Pretty good quickness and deep speed and while isn't hugely physical has a nice change of direction | Hands are pretty good and can make catches away from his frame but isn't going to win balls at the catch point or through contact with much consistency. | Athletic traits and good understanding of how to generate leverage make him a threat after the catch, though not a huge big play guy | Didn't face much press and route tree wasn't the fullest but shows a nice change of direction and shows an understanding of how to set-up defenders at the head of routes to create separation though will need to do this over a wider route tree | Isn't a great technical blocker and while hands are ok he needs to set his feet better | Can he create consistent underneath and intermediate separation as a route runner to allow him to be a possession slot option? | Mid 5th Round | 18 |
| Seth Williams | Auburn | 6'3 | 211 | Pretty good quickness and deep speed and reasonably physical as well but change of direction is nothing special | Shows a great ability to create receptions at the catch point and shows a good ability to make catches away from his frame and through contact | Doesn't add much after the catch but can at least put his head down and run an angle | Oversteps badly against press. Didn't run the fullest route tree but breaks back to the ball quite well but needs to show he can separate as a route runner on a consistent basis. Also tends to round routes a fair amount. | Wasn't asked to block a ton and technique is fairly raw. | Can he create separation underneath if asked to play in the slot or is he essentially a contested catch receiver? | Mid 5th Round | 19 |
| Shi Smith | South Carolina | 5'10 | 190 | Pretty good quickness and decent-to-good deep speed while change of direction is also pretty good but isn't very physical | Hands are good with the ability to make catches away from his frame but doesn't excel under contact or in the air though neither are these are especially poor | Shows some nice things after the catch and certainly can add some value on screens and the like but this isn't a massive plus | Ran a reasonably varied route tree and does show some occasional flashes but he has a real tendency to round his routes at speed and doesn't demonstrate much in terms of higher-level traits though quickness is there to be effective underneath | Shows a good understand of leverage with footwork but hands need to be much more active | Does he have the change of direction to become a quality underneath route runner from the slot as this is where his best role looks to be? | Late 5th Round | 20 |
| Dazz Newsome | North Carolina | 5'10 | 185 | Really nice quickness and change of direction with pretty good deep speed though isn't hugely physical | Decent hands, but there are some drops when working away from his frame and isn't going to add anything in the air | Quickness and change of direction make him reasonably effective after the catch | Almost exclusively works out of the slot so not experienced against press. Shows some really nice flashes over a limited route tree but needs to continue to add nuance and show he can apply it to a fuller route tree | Isn't the most powerful but blocking technique is really quite good | Does he have the hands to be a reliable possession option out of the slot? | Late 5th Round | 21 |
| TJ Vasher | Texas Tech | 6'6 | 215 | Decent-to-good deep speed but quickness isn't great and isn't very physical while change of direction is likely to be fairly limiting | Shows good hands with the ability to make catches away from his frame and through contact and flashes some ability to be a real factor at the catch point | Doesn't really offer much after the catch and is not somebody you would throw a screen to | Does some nice things in terms of footwork against press but isn't great in terms of physicality and really lacks the change of direction and quickness to offer much as a route runner outside of zone beaters and go balls. Limited route tree as well. | Needs to use his hands more as a blocker and will never be amazing but is fairly willing | Can he offer more than a catch point option on go balls and in the red zone? | Late 5th Round | 22 |
| Austin Watkins | UAB | 6'3 | 210 | Decent deep speed but quickness is nothing special and change of direction isn't amazing but does show pretty good physicality | Shows good hands with the ability to make catches away from his frame and through contact but it's unclear how effective he might be at the catch point | Shows some nice flashes after the catch and can be effective when working downhill but isn't super shifty on screens and the like | Ran a really very simplistic route tree and while he shows some decent core ability to create separation at route heads this is something that will need significant further work, while work against press is a little too ponderous | Pretty good blocker who locates hands well and sets a good base | Does he have the explosion to cause problems for defenders as a route runner or is he going to struggle to separate against man? | Early 6th Round | 23 |
| Terrace Marshall | LSU | 6'3 | 200 | Decent quickness and deep speed and change of direction is pretty good but isn't especially physical | Generally pretty good hands with some ability to make catches away from his frame and through traffic but there are some arm catches and doesn't add value at the catch point | Adds some value after the catch as he is reasonably shifty but is unlikely to be a primary option on screens etc | Didn't run the fullest route tree but did show some ability to create separation underneath at the route head though he will need to build off this and apply it to a wider range of routes while his ability against press isn't great and is unlikely to ever be amazing | Really poor technique with narrow base and passive hands | Can he develop into more than a big slot with decent hands as his game at the moment seems quite fragmented? | Mid 6th Round | 24 |
| Marlon Williams | UCF | 6'0 | 215 | Decent quickness but deep speed is fairly unremarkable and change of direction isn't amazing but is pretty physical | Good hands with the ability to make plays either away from his frame or through contact but didn't demonstrate any noticeable ability to add value at the catch point | Hard to bring down and can be a touch runner but isn't super elusive and YAC will likely be a bonus rather than a consistent feature | Didn't face a lot of press and while footwork will likely need work he has the physicality to be effective against press. Didn't run a very varied route tree and didn't show much to indicative he can be a high level route runner at the next level. | Shows some enthusiasm but is technically really rather poor | Could he offer value as a potential TE conversion as he has the frame for it despite his height? | Mid 6th Round | 25 |
| Amon-Ra St Brown | USC | 6'1 | 195 | Pretty good quickness but deep speed is pretty mediocre, isn't very physical and change of direction seems to be quite limited | Generally good hands, but often looks to catch the ball close to his frame and some concerns about his ability to consistently make catches away from his frame | Has some shiftiness but lack of above-average athleticism and poor agility he doesn't really add anything here | Largely inexperienced against press and didn't run the fullest route tree. Shows some flashes running route underneath but change of direction is quite cumbersome and will likely struggle to separate against better defenders. | Didn't get to block much in USC's offense and technique is hard to judge | Can he offer more than just another body to catch underneath passes against zone? | Late 6th Round | 26 |
| Nico Collins | Michigan | 6'4 | 215 | Quickness isn't great and while deep speed is pretty good and can handle physicality pretty well his change of direction is really quite limited | Pretty good hands with the ability to make catches away from his frame and through contact but isn't hugely effective in the air and can be slow to get hands up at times | Doesn't have the athleticism to offer very much in this regard | Oversteps against press but does a decent job of attacking leverage. Didn't run the fullest route tree and while he seems to understand leverage his change of direction prevents him from adding much value here. | Locates hands well with good arm extension but sets far too narrow a base. | Does he offer enough as a size-speed outside option against press to see the field in the NFL? | Late 6th Round | 27 |
| Elijah Moore | Ole Miss | 5'9 | 185 | Decent quickness but deep speed is nothing special and doesn't show much physicality while change of direction is decent but no more | Really good hands with the ability to make really impressive catches away from his frame but doesn't excel through contact and isn't really a factor in the air | Does show some flashes after the catch and can certainly add some value here but is not an elite trait | Really struggled against press and physicality in general and while he has some potential as a route runner he didn't run much of a route tree and tended to round his round heads while not showing any higher level traits | Wasn't really asked to block much but this is unlikely to be a strength to his game | Can he add more than just the occasional spectacular catch and a few yards on screens here and there? | Early 7th Round | 28 |
| Damonte Coxie | Memphis | 6'2 | 197 | Deep speed is decent and is able to hold up against physical defenders but quickness is really quite poor | Hands are pretty good with the ability to make catches away from his frame but doesn't stand out in terms of contested catches or aerial balls | Breaks quite a lot of tackles but doesn't add much yardage due to quickness | Didn't run a hugely complex route tree and struggles against press. Route running is really quite limited with change of direction making significant improvement unlikely | Willing blocker with decent hand usage but footwork needs work | Does he offer much other than a pair of hands? | Mid 7th Round | 29 |
| Trevon Grimes | Florida | 6'4 | 218 | Quickness, deep speed and change or direction are all fairly unremarkable if not actively poor but is reasonably physical | Shows pretty good hands and extends away from his frame well but seems to struggle through contact somewhat and doesn't show much ability to win at the catch point | Doesn't really add much value after the catch and is likely to be fairly limited in this regard | Didn't really show much added value against press and while there were occasional flashes of subtlety as a route runner he didn't run a very full route tree and lack of quickness of change of direction will likely limit him | Uses hands quite well but needs to bend knees more and doesn't set feet well | Does he offer more than just a body to catch passes? | Undrafted | 30 |
| Brennan Eagles | Texas | 6'4 | 229 | Quickness isn't amazing and change of direction is really quite poor but deep speed is at least decent and is reasonably physical | Generally decent hands with some ability to make catches through contact but there are definitely some arm catches and doesn't stand out away from his frame or at the catch point | Doesn't really add anything after the catch and is likely going to be physically limited in this regard | Didn't run much of a route tree and didn’t show any noticeable ability to work off the line effectively or to create separate as a route runner at any level of the field | Struggles to set feel consistently and hand usage is nothing special | Does he offer anything at a level to make him more than a replacement level player? | Undrafted | 31 |
There are three receivers who really stand-out at the top of the 2021 draft class, and how they compare is really more a matter of style than substance. Bateman is probably the most complete underneath route runner and while he maybe doesn’t have quite the same top speed as the other two he still has the speed to threaten vertically. He also has good hands with the ability to compete at the catch point and to make catches away from his frame.
Devonta Smith is an unusual prospect as he does an awful lot of things well and is right up there with Bateman as the most pro-ready prospect in the class and certainly doesn’t lack for upside with great vertical speed and hands. He also is a really nuanced route runner with the ability to create separation at all levels of the field. The only caveat to all this is that he very slight, and while he does shows some really nice things in terms of footwork at the line, he can at times get jammed up by better press corners and this is something that could be a greater issue translating to the NFL.
Nov 9, 2019; Tuscaloosa, AL, USA; LSU Tigers wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase (1) pulls in a touchdown pass over Alabama Crimson Tide defensive back Trevon Diggs (7) during the first quarter at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports
Ja’Marr Chase, by contrast, is probably more similar to DJ Moore in how he will add value to a team as he is a constant big-play threat who shows a really nice ability to create separation at the catch points and is a great athlete in space. He does well against press and does do some nice things as a route runner but isn’t quite as consistently effective as the other two in this regard, and this is what drops him slightly below the other two. Overall though, all three of these prospects are exceptionally good and should be #1 receivers wherever they end up.
Kadarius Toney and Jaylen Waddle are the second tier prospects, with both likely being most effective from the slot though both should also be able to play outside as well. Toney is the better route runner of the two and shows some really nice nuances when working at the head of routes against off coverage especially. Waddle is more of a pure speedster and should be able to offer an immediate deep threat but does drop a few more balls than is ideal and needs to improve as a route runner underneath to offer a more well-rounded game.
Photo Credit: Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports
While the top five receivers are all very good, if the Panthers are going to select any of them they will likely have to do so no later than their second round pick. It is therefore the third tier of prospects who are probably most likely to be considered as replacements for Curtis Samuel. The best of these is Amari Rodgers, as while he is fairly unproven against press coverage and didn’t run a complete route tree, he shows some really nice flashes over the route tree he did run and has great hands while being a real threat after the catch.
Anthony Schwartz is more of a specialist at this point, as he shows great deep speed with good hands and ability after the catch, but while he shows some nice flashes as a route runner he still has a reasonable amount of room for improvement here. Similarly, D’Wayne Eskridge should be able to offer an immediate deep threat and has the potential to be a more complete receiver with nice flashes against press and some really nice pieces of route running, albeit over a somewhat limited route tree, but there are a few too many drops on tape and a little too much work to do as a route runner to have him rated higher.
Photo Credit: University of North Texas Athletics
The final player in this third tier is Jaelon Darden, and while he doesn’t appear to offer the same level of deep threat as the others in this tier, his value is going to be as an underneath route runner who shows good hands and is a real threat after the catch. He will need to show that he can apply the flashes he showed as a route runner over a more diverse route tree but looks to be a useful gadget player for whoever drafts him.
There are some names to watch further down the board as well, Cade Johnson is a similar slot-type to those above but is maybe a little more developmental and would be a good pick if he’s still on the board as the draft gets later on the final day. Tyler Vaughns is another who the Panthers could target later in the drafts, as while he needs to expand his route tree he flashes some nice subtleties as a route runner and does well after the catch, making him a potentially useful possession option.
Southern California wide receiver Tyler Vaughns (21) tries unsuccessfully to catch a pass as Notre Dame cornerback Troy Pride Jr. (5) defends in the second half of an NCAA college football game in South Bend, Ind., Saturday, Oct. 12, 2019. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
The Panthers might not go into the draft with receiver as their main focus, but this is definitely an area they need to address at some point if they haven’t done so already in free agency. While the Panthers are therefore unlikely to be in the market for one of the very top prospects in the class, those in the third tier should be available in the middle rounds and their value here should make them legitimate options for the Panthers as they look to retool their receiver depth.
(Top photo via Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
