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!

Doing the math from the first 3 posts, that’s 6 major needs with 5 picks in the draft. Trading back would be ideal, but might not be possible – again, depending on how the board breaks. David Gettleman shrewdly added some inexpensive pieces that I’ve mentioned, as well as DT Colin Cole, but all are guys that come with untapped ability and can’t be counted on as solid starters yet with the possible exception of Ted Ginn, Jr. and even he has some big question marks with dropped passes.

Trying to get a little bit into Ron Rivera’s head, I would think his own urgency dictates plugging up the middle of that defense. Kuechly can’t do it all, and even sometimes has difficulty shedding blockers. He’ll improve, no doubt, but that may be the one minor weakness he had coming into the league. Shedding NFL blockers is no easy task, but part of the job description of any linebacker. If he’d ever get a good pair of tackles in front of him on a consistent basis, the Panthers should have a top-ten rush defense. I’m almost certain they’ll take a DT with one of their top 2 picks and likely in the first round.

But what about the other pick?

That’s the big question. Trying to get into Gettleman’s head now, I’m thinking he’s got at least 2 major scenarios set up, with offshoots of those depending on who is available at #14. If OT Lane Johnson is still around for some strange reason, I think he’s the guy they’ll take. Protect the franchise first.

Same thing with OGs Chance Warmack and Jonathan Cooper – protection for Cam from the inside pass rush and help with the inside running game. At least one of the two, if not both, could be around at 14 due to the lower positional value. Otherwise the pick is the DT of choice, whoever it may be at the time – even if Warmack and Coop are BOTH there. Knowing Gettleman comes from the Giants does skew my opinion a bit in favor of taking the defensive tackle. Rivera’s a defensive coach, remember.

Nov 3, 2012; Knoxville, TN, USA; Tennessee Volunteers wide receiver Justin Hunter (11) celebrates with teammate Cordarrelle Patterson (84) after a touchdown against the Troy Trojans during the first half at Neyland Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Brown-USA TODAY Sports

I just don’t see a WR being taken at #14, although Cam would be happy with any of the top-tier guys…and at least one of those SHOULD be around at #14, presenting an interesting problem for Gettleman. Conventional wisdom is that you build a team from the inside-out, and Gettleman has a good track record with building the aforementioned New York Giants. He also has been known to take that first-round WR, and still may be a bit tempted to do so, but there’s just too much work to be done in the trenches at the outset for that until 2014, and once more, Ginn’s presence probably took a first-round WR pick off the radar.

It shouldn’t take long for everyone to see what sort of job David Gettleman does in the draft later this month. If the moves he has already made can work out to a realistic degree and he hits on say 3 or 4 out of the 5 picks he has, the Panthers could well improve just enough to fight for a wild card spot this season.

Their goal should be not so much to win the division, but to just make the playoffs. Once in, a hot team has a real chance to go on a run. In the playoffs, anything can happen. It’s getting there that will be the hard part with Atlanta and New Orleans in the way.

That said, keep one thing in mind. For all the poor cap management by former GM Marty Hurney, the guy struck gold twice in a row with the team’s top pick the last 2 seasons. He got 2011′s OROY in Cam Newton, then turned around in last year’s draft and got the DROY in Luke Kuechly.

That’s a tough track record to improve upon, and I think Gettleman is going to make his mark in prudent drafting….AFTER the first round. That’s where a good GM earns his money…doing things like nabbing a Victor Cruz as an undrafted free agent. Don’t forget, when the draft is over, the “hunt” has only just begun….

5 – Wide Receiver: This position would be ranked in the top 3 “need” positions if not for the low-cost acquisition of Ted Ginn, Jr. He’s a former #9 overall draft pick, so the man has a lot of natural talent and blazing straight-line speed. However, he never did develop into the #1 WR he was drafted to be, and Steve Smith has lost a step on the outside. Joe Adams, a slot WR/KR chosen in the 4th round last year has so far been a bust, and at #14 the most explosive player in the entire draft will probably be sitting right there in W.V. WR Tavon Austin, who ran a blistering 4.27 40-yard dash at the Scouting Combine and is a big reason fellow Mountaineer, QB Geno Smith, is a borderline top-ten talent. With the Panthers needing more bodies than they have picks, Austin is the guy for some other team (St. Louis Rams, maybe?) to grab around here – they draft at #16 – and could well be trade bait to allow the Panthers to trade back and gain an extra pick in the top few rounds, depending on how far back they’d trade, if that scenario comes to pass. The Rams will be highly tempted to replace departed slot WR Danny Amendola with Austin, so there could possibly be a “taker” for the 14th pick overall. Whether or not Gettleman and Rivera draft an OLB early or not should tell us how they feel about the health status of their linebackers. If Beason can return to the form he had his first four years in the league and Davis can stay healthy and mobile on that trick knee of his, the team should be just fine here. Time will tell.

Feb 24, 2013; Indianapolis, IN, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers wide receiver Tavon Austin runs with the ball after making a catch during the NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

6 – Free Safety: Haruki Nakamura, with all of the 3-inch vertical leap, is a complete liability in pass coverage and should start the season #2 on the depth chart. The safety position is a little murky at the moment, with Gettleman signing another low-cost option there from the Raiders (Mike Mitchell), and D.J. Campbell started the last few games at strong safety at the end of last season. Campbell is young, Charles Godfrey is steady if unspectacular at either safety spot, and the team could really use a ball hawk at the free safety position. I don’t think the Panthers will draft a safety in the top two rounds – not with the issues on both lines being what they are – but they could take a late-round flier on one. Texas safety Kenny Vaccaro would be a major upgrade and possibly a future pro-bowl caliber star, but is a luxury pick that the Panthers cannot afford at this point. Still, there’s always a possibility, with today’s pass-happy NFL, that Gettleman and Rivera will take a Vaccaro as a playmaker on the back end to go with their above-average pass-rushing group of DEs. It sure would be nice to see more turnovers going the Panthers’ direction, and a safety with great ball skills would certainly put some teeth into the deep secondary, but I still feel the game itself is won or lost at the line of scrimmage, which is where the Panthers are going to look for help early rather than later.