The Carolina Panthers once again failed to live up to preseason expectations in 2008 and as a result many in the organization are feeling the heat. Topping that list is head coach John Fox, who has just about used up all of the goodwill he generated by taking the franchise to its first Super Bowl back in 2003. That air of desperation was evident on Draft Day when the Panthers traded a future #1 pick for the second year in a row. Carolina clearly has some issues but they also have the talent to be considered legitimate contenders. Will this crop of rookies put the Panthers over the top or was this the swan song for their current regime?
Even though they had slapped the Franchise Tag on Julius Peppers the Panthers really didn’t know what kind of future he had with the team when Draft Day arrived. Also, even if Peppers was going to be around for the long haul Carolina still needed some help at defensive end because the combo of Tyler Brayton and Charles Johnson was pretty average in 2008. As a result the Panthers saw fit to trade their first round selection in the 2010 NFL Draft to San Francisco in exchange for the 43rd overall pick, which they used on Florida St. DE Everette Brown. That was a high price to pay but it just goes to show you the depths of Carolina’s desperation. Considered to be a sure-fire first rounder and perhaps even a Top 10 overall pick throughout much of the process, Brown saw his stock drop in the weeks leading up to the draft. Ultimately concerns about Brown’s lack of ideal size (6-11/2, 256) weighed heavy in teams minds but the struggles that other Seminole pass rushers like Reinard Wilson, Andre Wadsworth, Jamal Reynolds, Alonzo Jackson and Kamerion Wimbley had adjusting to the pro game didn’t help his cause either. Still, no one questioned Brown’s ability to get after the quarterback and after racking up 46.5 tackles for a loss and 23.0 sacks in three seasons he was widely regarded to be one of the premier pass rushers available. As an added bonus Brown also earned glowing reviews for his character, work ethic and overall intangibles. As a rookie Brown will likely be used as a pass rush specialist while being groomed as a potential long-term replacement for Peppers.
The Panthers used their own second round pick on Troy DB Sherrod Martin, who played mostly safety in college but will move to cornerback in the pros. Carolina can only hope he’ll have as much success as Charles Godfrey, who made the transition from college corner to pro free safety for them last year. At 6-1 and 198 pounds Martin certainly has the size you look for and despite his history of shoulder injuries and advanced age (25-year-old rookie) he was considered to be a legitimate second or third round pick. The Troy Trojan program has sent some pretty impressive alumni to the NFL in recent years and Martin will try and follow in the footsteps of Osi Umenyiora, DeMarcus Ware and Leodis McKelvin. Veteran Ken Lucas was a cap casualty and while Richard Marshall will replace him in the starting lineup there is a great opportunity for Martin to come in and win the nickel job as a rookie. Last year injuries really exposed the Panthers lack of depth at defensive tackle and they took a big step toward addressing that problem by selecting Georgia’s Corvey Irvin in round three. A JUCO transfer who was a bit of an unknown heading into his senior season, Irvin assumed a much larger role when starter Jeff Owens went down with a season-ending knee injury in the opener and never looked back. Irvin was a slight reach in the third round but considering his strong senior campaign and impressive workouts (6-3 | 301 | 5.00) his best football might still be ahead of him. Irvin is slated for backup duty in 2009 but he will provide some much-needed depth and could play extensively in their interior rotation.
Carolina had two selections in the fourth round and they surprisingly used both of them to bolster their backfield. Texas A&M RB Mike Goodson was a prized recruit coming out of high school but despite a promising freshman season in College Station he never quite lived up to the hype. Similar in some ways to a poor-man’s Felix Jones, Goodson is a dynamic playmaker who can be a weapon as a runner, receiver and return man. However, character issues prevented him from fulfilling his potential with the Aggies and while he still has a lot of upside he also has a high bust factor. With DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart entrenched atop the depth chart Goodson will have to embrace a situational role and make the most of limited opportunities as a rookie. The Panthers used their next pick to select the drafts top fullback, Tony Fiammetta out of Syracuse. Fiammetta only carried the ball a grand total of 16 times his entire college career but he is the type who does all of the little stuff that doesn’t show up in the boxscore. A versatile player who can contribute as a runner, receiver and blocker, Fiammetta will compete with Brad Hoover as a rookie but after investing a relatively high pick it's probably only a matter of time until he wins the starting job, whether it's in 2009 or 2010.
In round five the Panthers may have gotten a steal with Oklahoma OG Duke Robinson, who was being talked about as a possible second round pick at one point. An impressive physical specimen at 6-5 and 329 pounds, Robinson can be a mauler in the run game but he was hindered by an injury as a senior and some questioned his intangibles which is why he dropped so far. As a rookie Robinson will be counted on to provide valuable depth along the offensive line but with Keydrick Vincent now in his 30’s don’t be surprised if he competes for the starting right guard job as early as 2010. With their final pick in round seven the Panthers chose South Carolina CB Captain Munnerlyn, who seemingly made a mistake entering the draft with eligibility remaining. Sometimes a player can get away with being short and sometimes they can get away with being slow but rarely do you see someone get away with both. Munnerlyn had both factors working against him after he measured in at just 5-81/2, 182 pounds then only managed to run 4.5’s in workouts. Despite those less than impressive triangle numbers Munnerlyn is a very good athlete and plays big so he could compete for a roster spot. Still, even if Munnerlyn is able to make the team he doesn’t profile as anything more than a #4 or #5 corner in the NFL.
As a general rule of thumb you don’t want to get in the habit of trading future #1 picks. Even though the Jeff Otah deal worked out quite well for Carolina it remains to be seen whether or not this year’s version of the move will be nearly as successful. Then again, if the Panthers have a big season it will likely be a late first rounder that they gave up and if they struggle again many in the organization won’t be around to worry about 2010 anyway. Carolina did a nice job of bolstering their depth on both sides of the ball in this draft and they did get solid value with all of their picks. However, there isn’t a clear-cut instant starter in this class and while that can be at least partially attributed to the Panthers already impressive collection of talent it’s tough to justify not coming away with more impact potential, especially when you consider that they traded next year’s first rounder. The bottom line is Carolina will likely need at least three players from the group of Brown, Martin, Irvin, Fiammetta and Robinson to develop into long-term starters for this class to be considered a success and that may be a tall order.
