Carolina got off to a good start yesterday with the selection of Luke Keuchly (LB, Boston College). He’s a guy, who regardless of how healthy Thomas Davis is, should come in and see immediate playing time in some capacity. The Panthers only had one pick on this second day of the NFL draft. They traded away their 3rd round pick last year to the Chicago Bears in exchange for Greg Olsen. The Panther’s lone pick came in the second round where they selected Amini Silatolu, who was a left guard out of Midwestern State. Now I know what you’re thinking; yes it’s not a very attractive pick, but Silatolu should be able to come in and compete for a starting job from day one. As of right now he’ll be competing with Bryant Browning and Mike Pollack for the starting left guard position and neither one of those guys is anything special. Cam Newton is the biggest piece of this team, so you have to provide him with the proper protection in order to be successful and that exactly what Marty Hurney and Ron Rivera are doing.

I was initially hoping to grab Janoris Jenkins with our 2nd round pick, but he was taken one pick before us by the St. Louis Rams. I also would have loved to see us draft Trumaine Johnson, the cornerback from Montana who is just an absolute physical specimen and looked great in his game tape as well. However, the Panthers filled a need by drafting Silatolu and although it may not be sexiest option it will definitely prove to be worthy in the long run.

September 10, 2011; State College, PA, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide defensive back Mark Barron (4) makes an interception during the third quarter action at Beaver Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey G. Pittenger-US PRESSWIRE

One team that is having a great draft so far is a division rival of the Panthers. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have made 3 solid selections so far. They drafted Mark Baron (S, Alabama) in the 1st round along with Doug Martin (RB, Boise State), and then they took Lavonte David (LB, Nebraska) who was suppose to be a first round talent at the end of the 2nd round. Martin gives the Bucs a great one-two punch being paired with Legarrette Blount, who is a more physical type of runner. And they also added Vincent Jackson in the off-season who was regarded as the best receiver available in free agency. It looks like the Bucs are going to be solid at both the offensive and defensive sides of the football, and they also still have some late round picks remaining in this weekend’s draft.

Oct 13, 2011; San Francisco CA, USA; Southern California Trojans defensive end Nick Perry (8) after a play against the California Golden Bears during the first quarter at AT

The Green Bay Packers are one team that has disappointed me a little bit in this year’s draft so far. They entered the draft with 10 picks to play with and a lot of those picks were in the first 4 rounds of the draft. They took Nick Perry (DE, USC) in the 1st round, which I thought was a decent pick, but could have been better considering Courtney Upshaw (LB/DE, Alabama) was still on the board. Then they traded up in the 2nd round to get defensive tackle Jerel Worthy (Michigan State), which isn’t even a position of need for them (and Worthy wasn’t even the best DT still available). And then they made another move in order to obtain an additional 2nd round pick (62 overall) in which they selected Casey Hayward (CB, Vanderbilt). I think Hayward is decent, but doesn’t have as much upside as Trumaine Johnson or Josh Robinson (CB, UCF), who were both on the board at the time Green Bay was picking. However, you can never really tell about any of these guys until you see them on the field competing against other NFL players. But I definitely think the Packers are one team that could have gotten a lot more value considering the position they were in.
The third and final day of the 2012 NFL Draft starts tomorrow and the Panthers will be looking to fill some holes along their defensive line as well as in their secondary.

Sep 10, 2011; Auburn, AL, USA; Auburn Tigers quarterback Barrett Trotter (14) throws a pass as Mississippi State Bulldogs lineman Fletcher Cox (94) closes in during the first half at Jordan Hare Stadium. Mandatory Credit John Reed-US PRESSWIRE

The Panthers have three big needs they need to fill with this draft and two of those needs could be filled with their 1st round selection. Fletcher Cox (DT, Mississppi State) is the guy I would go after with that 9th overall pick, and if he is off the board when Carolina’s pick comes up, then I would draft Luke Kuechly (LB, Boston College). I highly doubt both of these guys will be taking in the first 8 picks, so we should have a shot one of them. However, if both men are gone then maybe Quinten Coples (DE, UNC) is the guy you take. But I’ll be fine with just about whatever Carolina decides…unless they decide to select Stephon Gilmore (CB, South Carolina). I think Gilmore is the most overrated player in this year’s draft and is nowhere near deserving of being a top 10 pick.

However, corner is definitely an area the Panthers need to address in this year draft, so no matter if they take a DT or LB in the first round, they have to draft a corner in the 2nd round. Maybe a guy like Janoris Jenkis (CB, North Alabama) will fall to us or Dre Kirkpatrick (CB, Alabama) might fall as well. If both guys are gone then I’d really love take Trumaine Johnson (CB, Montana). He’s tremendous size and speed, and could help out our defense immediately.

November 12, 2011; Boston, MA, USA; Boston College Eagles linebacker Luke Kuechly (40) gestures to the sideline during the third quarter of a game against the North Carolina State Wolfpack during the third quarter at Alumni Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Michael Ivins-US PRESSWIRE

We don’t have a 3rd round pick, so in the 4th I think it would be a good idea to take a linebacker if we don’t draft Kuechly in the 1st. Keenan Robinson (LB) from Texas should still be available around then. But if we do take Kuechly then I would try to bolster our receiving corps a little bit with our 4th round pick and take a guy like Ryan Broyles (WR, Oklahoma). He’s a smaller, quick receiver, and could be the heir apparent to Steve Smith.
In the 5th, 6th, and 7th rounds I think we should just be looking to add depth to the offensive and defensive lines, as well as the linebacker position. However, we could use another safety who can give Sherrod Martin a legitimate battle for his job during training camp, so if a guy like Justin Bethel (S, Presbyterian) is still on the board in the later rounds then I would definitely pull the trigger and draft him. (if you want to see some of Justin’s freakish athletic ability, then watch this clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=08RJgDJS8Dg)
This should definitely be an exciting draft as the Panthers try to fill some holes in the defense as they gear up to have a playoff caliber season. And if they are going to do that then they have to draft players at the Defensive Tackle, Linebacker, and Cornerback positions.

Poe is a huge physical specimen, who at 6-4, 350 lbs, can clog up a hole and allow the linebackers to run free and make plays on the ball carrier. He is a bit of a risk considering before the combine not many people gave him much attention due to his lack of production in college. However, at the combine he broke all kinds of records for strength and conditioning. He pounded out more reps on the 225lb bench press than any other player at the combine and also ran 40-time under 4.9. It’s a bit of a risk, but that’s what everybody said about Cam Newton and looked how he turned out.

2nd Round (#40 overall) – Trumaine Johnson, CB, Montana
Johnson is a big physical corner who is not lacking in speed either. He is great in man-to-man coverage and will be able to hang with the big, physical receivers at the NFL level. This is definitely a position of importance for the Panthers. Chris Gamble is a solid corner but he is coming up on the closing years of his career, and Captain Munnerlyn just doesn’t have the size to guard the #1 and #2 receivers at the NFL level. Johnson should be able to come in right away and challenge for a starting position.

4th Round (#104) – Ryan Broyles, WR, Oklahoma
Broyles probably would go much higher in this years draft, but he sustained a knee injury at the end of last season and that made a lot of scouts and coaches alike a little skeptical of drafting him. However, he held a pro day about a week ago in which he looked very healthy and looked good running routes and making cuts. He said he’s about 90% at this stage in his recovery and should definitely be all systems go by the time mini camp comes rolling around. And there is definitely no doubting Broyles ability he put up big numbers as receiver and did a good job with returning punts as well. He could be just what the Panthers are looking for as the potential replacement for Steve Smith and could certainly help immediately as a slot receiver.

Nov 5, 2011; Norman, OK, USA; Oklahoma Sooners receiver Ryan Broyles (85) runs after a catch while being defended by Texas A

5th Round (#145) – Keenan Robinson, OLB, Texas
Robinson is a good outside linebacker who has the speed to get down hill and into the backfield. His knock in college was that at times he played to soft and got blocked too often or got bulldozed by opposing running backs. However, he definitely put up some impressive numbers and he would steal to grab here in the 5th round. Thomas Davis is coming back, but it’s hard to imagine that he’s going to stay healthy the entire year. Robinson would be good insurance in case Davis suffers another injury.

Dec 28, 2011; San Diego, CA, USA; Texas Longhorns linebacker Keenan Robinson (1) during the 2011 Holiday Bowl against the California Golden Bears at Qualcomm Stadium. Texas defeated California 21-10. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-US PRESSWIRE

6th Round (#180) – Luke Nix, OG, Pittsburg
Nix is a big offensive lineman, weighing in at 6-5, 317 lbs. He would be a great depth chart addition for the guard position and might even challenge for a starting job in the next 2 or 3 years. At this spot in the draft you don’t expect to get guys that are going to come in and start right away. Instead, you’re looking for guys who have potential to be starters, but at this point in their careers are still a little bit of a project. However, Nix has tremendous upside and should be a good addition to the offensive line depth.

Feb 25, 2012; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers offensive lineman Luke Nix runs the 40 yard dash during the NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-US PRESSWIRE

6th Round (#207, compensatory pick) – Justin Bethel, FS, Wisconsin
Being from Presbyterian College, Bethel really hasn’t received much attention this spring. He is the first player to ever be invited to the combine from Presbyterian, but he did put up some pretty impressive numbers throughout his college career. He was a four-year starter and a special teams standout. I can see Ron Rivera salivating already. We all know Rivera loves guys that are good special teams player and it seems like Bethel fits that mold to a tee. And his tackling ability as well as his vision to take great angles on routes could put him in position to challenge Sherrod Martin for a starting job. This would definitely be a great addition to the Panther secondary.

Sep. 17, 2011; San Francisco, CA, USA; Presbyterian Blue Hose cornerback Justin Bethel (26) breaks up a pass intended California Golden Bears wide receiver Keenan Allen (21) for during the second quarter at AT

7th Round (#216) – Russell Wilson, QB, Wisconsin
Wilson is not a big guy; he’s 5-10 and only weighs 210 lbs. However, he’s put up great numbers his entire collegiate career. At NC State he led all ACC quarterbacks in passing yards, passing touchdowns, and rushing yards. And at Wisconsin he was in the Heisman running for most of the season as he threw 33 touchdowns to just 4 interceptions. His speed however, would probably be the most appealing asset to Carolina. They could use someone who could run the read-option plays that the Panthers have introduced to their offense in case Cam Newton were to get hurt (but lets hope that never happens in the next 15 years—fingers crossed). He could also come in right away and compete for a job as the backup quarterback. Derek Anderson is nearing the end of his career and Jimmy Clausen isn’t really blowing anybody away with his talent either. Wilson might not be available in the 7th round, but if he is then the Panthers would be getting an absolute steal.

January 28, 2012; Mobile, AL, USA; North Squad quarterback Russell Wilson (16) looks to throw a pass during the Senior Bowl at Ladd-Peebles Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Chuck Cook-US PRESSWIRE