Carolina Panthers Draft: Making the case against a wide receiver at No. 7
The Carolina Panthers have many areas to address heading into the 2020 NFL Draft as they should not use the No. 7 overall pick on a wide receiver.
When it comes to the Carolina Panthers and their draft board being prepared for what awaits in the 2020 NFL Draft, it’s easy to see their areas of need. At this point in time, they need help on their defensive line, defensive secondary, and even at edge rusher. The overall vibe is that the Panthers’ defense is in dire need of getting better talent.
There was a great article written by Schuyler Callihan of Sports Illustrated in which he broke down how general manager Marty Hurney could pull a surprise move with the No. 7 overall pick in this year’s draft. One that could shock fans as it would involve using their first round pick on a wide receiver. One can see how Callihan makes sense here as stranger moves have happened in the past where Hurney made some head-scratching decisions when drafting.
The idea is that since the Panthers truly lack a No. 1 overall receiving threat, adding the best available wide receiver with their first round draft pick would be the offensive jolt that’s missing. Even though the Panthers just signed Robby Anderson via free agency, he’s not considered the complete package at wide receiver. He’s fast, can make big plays here and there, but has yet to put it all together to deliver extraordinary results.
The Carolina Panthers should not draft a wide receiver at No. 7
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In the grand scheme of things, the Panthers should stay away from drafting a wide receiver with the No. 7 overall pick. Sure, it would be an enticing move to make in order to add a premium talent to their wide receiver corps but it won’t make much of a difference if opposing offenses roll all over your defense.
The Panthers’ defense is terrible against the run and they don’t generate enough pressure at all against opposing quarterbacks. Their defensive secondary isn’t able to consistently hold it down in clutch situations and in close games, this is crucial. The lack of an edge rusher is quite concerning because, without a few, it just exposes all these defensive issues that teams will undoubtedly exploit.
On the offensive side of the ball, the Panthers’ offense is fine and should be better this upcoming season than what we’ve seen over the last few years. Besides adding an offensive lineman and maybe another good tight end, it’ll be sufficient enough to get the job done. Hurney and company must focus on defense and use their first few draft picks to bolster this part of the team.
dark. Next. Panthers should not dare consider trading up in NFL Draft
Overall, if the Panthers want to rebuild the right way and be competitive again in a few years, it’s all about the defense. If you’re able to field a stout defense, it’s the kind of recipe that helps win more football games as it’s true when they say that defense wins championships. If the Panthers want to get back on track the right way, it starts there. Not by using a top-ten pick on a wide receiver when they can easily draft one in the later rounds of this year’s draft that’s chock full of them.