Dec 22, 2012; Charlotte, NC, USA; Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton (1) reacts after scoring a touchdown as wide receiver Louis Murphy (83) looks on in the second quarter at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

Carolina Panthers: Draft is here Version 2.0

The draft is here. Currently the Panthers draft at 14 and will

they stay or trade down. We probably won’t know till we’re

on the clock. Unless players such as Star Lotulelei DT from Utah drops

to them then they move back. A half dozen teams behind them

want to move up and have multiple picks to trade.

A lot of talk about Tavon Austin WR from , WVU however he probably

Gone by 14. Latest scenario has the Jets using the 13^th pick they

will pick up in the Revis trade on a receiver and likes Austin. They will

have the 9^th , 13^th, 39^th , 72^nd and 106^th picks so they make a lot of moves.

St. Louis, Minnesota, Atlanta, Baltimore and San Francisco will consider

upward moves. So back to the Panthers and here goes.

14^th – Carolina trades the 14^th pick to San Francisco for the 31^st, their 3^rd

Round pick #74 and a 7^th round pick. The 49’ers choose either Sheldon

 Richardson DT, Missouri or Kenny Vacarro, S Texas.

31^st – Carolina picks DeAndre Hopkins WR, Clemson.

44^th pick – Carolina drafts Kawann Short DT, Purdue.

74rd pick – – Carolina drafts Teron Armstead OT, Arkansas Pine Bluff

(moving up most boards, however a little back concerns.) pick from

49’ers trade.

108^th pick – Carolina drafts B.W. Webb CB, William and Mary(good

Cover corner with quick feet.)

148^th pick – Carolina drafts Earl Wolff S, North Carolina State,(could

possibly start early in his career.)

182^nd. pick – Carolina drafts Philip Lutzenkirchen  TE, Auburn

(Cam’s TE from the Championship year.)

237^th – Carolina uses pick from 49’ers trade to select Travis Bond OG,

North  Carolina.

Round 1: Chance Warmack G, Alabama- I couldn’t believe my unbelievable good luck that Chance Warmack was still sitting there at pick 14. My opinion is that our biggest need is offensive line, so what better way to fill a need than to take the guy that a lot of draft pundits say is the best player, overall, in this draft. He’s an immediate upgrade over Geoff Hangartner and helps us protect our $22 million dollar investment and franchise quarterback, Cam Newton. Even if offensive line wasn’t our biggest need you still can’t pass on a guy like Warmack.

Round 2: D.J. Swearinger S, University of South Carolina- You could be speculating as to why I didn’t take a defensive tackle here. With the re-signing of Dwan Edwards our defensive line dodged a huge blow. While Sione Fua can be a liability I trust Luke Kuechly, Charles Johnson, Greg Hardy, Jon Beason, and Thomas Davis to pick up his slack. I don’t have the same confidence that they can pick up the slack of Charles Godfrey and Haruki Nakamura/DJ Campbell. D.J. Swearinger can line up at any safety position and is an excellent run defender. I would feel more comfortable with him in coverage on Jimmy Graham, Tony Gonzalez, etc. than I would any of our other safeties. He is the safety that Charles Godfrey should have been if he were able to tackle or cover.

Round 4: Stedman Bailey WR, West Virginia- This guy screams Steve Smith 2.0. While he doesn’t have the return gifts that Steve Smith has, he has all of the other gifts that Steve Smith has. He’s an excellent route runner, has great hands, good athlete, and is an intelligent player. There are questions surrounding him playing anywhere but in the slot but I think that he can eventually transition to being a number one receiver in the NFL. I truly believe that. Regardless of where he plays he will be a dangerous weapon for Cam.

Round 5: Vance McDonald TE, Rice University- Yet another weapon for Cam Newton. I am really high on Vance McDonald and had to take him since he was still available. I think he’s going to be a monster in the NFL. While his blocking leaves a lot to be desired he is an incredible pass catcher. He was lined up everywhere in Rice’s offense, but was primarily used in the slot. He was a multi-sport athlete and has great athleticism. I dream of an offense that includes Steve Smith, Brandon LaFell,  Stedman Bailey, Greg Olsen, and Vance McDonald all on the field at the same time. It wouldn’t matter if the Bucs have Revis. Our offense would be scary. We would finally fill that hole that Jeremy Shockey left when he was released. He was just too good to pass on.

Round 6: A.J. Francis DT, Maryland- I know I needed to address the defensive tackle position but there were players that were there that I couldn’t pass on. Round six saw A.J. Francis still available so I jumped on him. He’s a total sleeper pick, but I think he would do well in our offense lined up next to Dwan Edwards. He’s a space eater and a run stopper. Exactly what we need. Most sites have this guy being un-drafted but I think he will turn out to be a competent defensive tackle in the NFL.

I’m sure NFL aficionados remember the famous chalk-and-blackboard video clip of the great coach as he diagrammed his play…”A seal HERE, a seal HERE; you run the play in the ALLEY!”

Cooper has the speed, agility, and acceleration to pull and get out in front and maul whomever is in his way.

One thing, though.

NFL defenses these days are generally so fast, running wide isn’t something most teams do very often. Yes, there’s the read/option, but that’s just like it says – an OPTION – to go outside, and the guard isn’t involved in the outside part of that play. Generally, the QB reads the end, and if the end stays at home, the QB pitches outside to the running back. If the end covers the back, the QB turns it up inside and runs.

There’s a chance some team will draft Cooper over Warmack for his athleticism. Warmack isn’t fast, he can’t jump. Big deal. He’s an inside blocker, and speaking of scenes from NFL films, will NOT be called upon to run down a wide receiver from behind a la Cowboys’ DT Randy White vs. Philadelphia.

No, Warmack will be told to move the guy who is in front of him out of the way. In short, that’s the job description of an offensive guard, and NO guard is better at it than Alabama guard Chance Warmack. Not Jonathan Cooper, nor anyone else.

I may sound like a broken record, but Warmack is the best interior lineman in the SEC and in the nation. His game tape doesn’t lie – he just takes his man and moves him wherever he wants him to go, and doing so facing an SEC schedule.

Warmack still stood out as the best of the best, and the Carolina Panthers desperately need a right guard. Warmack largely played left guard in college, but moving to the right side won’t be an issue. He can play either side.

If Chance Warmack falls to #14 overall, the Carolina Panthers organization would be remiss not to draft him. At #14, he’d most certainly be the “best player available” – he’s already been labeled as the best prospect in the entire draft by some – and recall the Panthers had to pick up rejects to start games towards the end of the season when Geoff Hangartner was moved to center because of Ryan Kalil’s knee injury. The cupboard was bare at guard to replace him when he moved over.

While Hangartner is a valuable piece of the puzzle, I think his best role would be on the bench as the first backup player in the interior offensive line if any of those three get injured or need to come out for a quick rest. Since Hangartner can play center or guard and knows the offense, he could come off the bench and be inserted without a huge drop-off in efficiency or knowledge.

Drafting Warmack would hugely upgrade the right guard position as last year’s early second round pick, Amini Silatolu, continues to learn the nuances of NFL blocking schemes. Warmack comes from Alabama’s Nick Saban-run offense, and they already use many of the same concepts so Warmack would be NFL-ready from day one, as well as a day-one starter on that right side.

Oct 27, 2012; Chapel Hill, NC, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels wide receiver Erik Highsmith (88) with the ball as guard Jonathan Cooper (64) looks to block in the first half at Kenan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

No, he’s not a “sexy” pick like a Tavon Austin is, but I wouldn’t put the Panthers’ #14 overall pick on the shoulders of a situational player/slot WR like Austin. He’s’ 5’8″ which automatically limits him in certain ways, despite his speed.

Chance Warmack is the guy who Rivera can plug into the offensive line and singularly improve the running game – one that struggled mightily at times in 2012. When you’ve got a STACKED backfield with FOUR running threats – D-Will, J-Stew, Mike Tolbert and Cam Newton – you’re going to WANT an offensive line that is big, strong, and can move the pile. “Athletic” guards would be nice, all else being equal, but first and foremost you want a guy who gets the freakin’ job DONE, folks…and that guy is indeed Chance Warmack.

There’s also a good “chance” that he’ll still be around at #14…probably 50/50. The Jets, Chargers, Dolphins, and Titans could all use a guard, but guard isn’t necessarily at the TOP of their lists. If Cooper and Warmack both go before 14 overall, they’ll likely be heading to New York and Tennessee, either-or.

The Jets’ offensive line is a well-publicized shambles and the Titans can use some help on the inside for CJ2K’s running and QB Jake Locker’s continued development, but both teams need help on the defensive side too. As usual, the draft possibilities are endless.

Fellow Panthers fans, if you DO hear Chance Warmack’s name called, you should rejoice instead of groaning about Tavon Austin (small size) or Cordarrelle Patterson (work ethic/maturity issues). Warmack is not only as safe a pick as there could possibly be at 14, he’s a likely future Pro-Bowl guard.

Remember, it’s the linemen who set things up for those breathtaking DeAngelo Williams breakaway runs or Cam Newton’s gliding, slamming runs…when he’s not looking awkward trying to slide, that is.

Warmack is a blue-collar worker in the trenches and there’s nobody better in this year’s draft class. It also happens to be the BIGGEST problem area – including RT and WR2 – on the entire offense. Teams love to build from the inside-out, so signs point to Warmack yet again.

If Warmack’s name is called at 14, think in terms of the holes he’ll help open so that the OTHERS on offense get to make bigger plays…and that’s what the team sport is all about.

I’m still hoping the Panthers will hire a baseball “sliding coach” for Cam. The last thing the team needs is a self-inflicted concussion on a QB slide!