Carolina Panthers roster loaded with first-round talent
The Carolina Panthers 2019 roster is filled with past first-round picks.
Nearly every NFL team had a first-round selection available during the draft this past April, Carolina Panthers included. General manager Marty Hurney added standout Florida State defensive end, Brian Burns, to a reconstructed front expected to employ a change in strategy from its predecessors. As coach Ron Rivera shifts from his base 4-3 to more 3-4 schemes in 2019, the move made perfect sense, in addition to getting a known pass rusher who can pressure the quarterback.
While most every team will obviously have their 2019 first-round pick available, there are a number of guys who heard their names called early in the draft within the Panthers locker room. For teams who have a decent history of solid draft selections, there could be anywhere upwards of four players recently selected remaining with the team.
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The Panthers currently have seven such selections, dating back to quarterback Cam Newton who joined the team as the number one overall pick during the 2011 NFL Draft. Only Kelvin Benjamin (2014) and Star Lotulelei (2013) are no longer with Carolina over that same time period.
Newton joins Luke Kuechly, Shaq Thompson, Vernon Butler, Christian McCaffrey, D.J. Moore and Burns as home grown first-round picks expected to make an impact this season. While this is a strong contingent on which to build, Hurney has also added a number of other former first-round picks during both tenures in his role with the team.
In his earlier stint, Hurney made the trade for Chicago Bears first-round pick, Greg Olsen – arguably the greatest trade in franchise history. Since serving as interim and being re-hired with the Panthers, Hurney has also added the following players with a first-round pedigree: Dontari Poe, Eric Reid, Bruce Irvin and Gerald McCoy.
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In total, 12 current Panthers players (eight on defense, four on offense) were chosen in the first-round of the NFL Draft and while this doesn’t necessarily equate to wins, the potential is obviously present.