Panthers draft: Areas of concern for Carolina’s top 4 picks
By Dean Jones
Yetur Gross-Matos – Run defense
The Panthers draft team might have got a real steal with Yetur Gross-Matos in the second round. But how the player adjusts initially is going to determine just what sort of impact he is going to have in the short-term.
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The former Penn State edge rusher is a ferocious force when it comes to getting after the quarterback. There are some questions about his ability to support in run situations and this is something teams may look to exploit early on.
His tackling is of a high standard. But what Gross-Matos needs to work on is his reading of run situations and what gaps he needs to get in between in order to maximize his influence on any part3icular down.
There is no disputing the player’s vast physical traits. If he can harness this in the right way then the Panthers are going to have a real player on their hands. What is important now is that Gross-Matos identifies his run support as an area of significant need to work on and adjust his technique accordingly.
The versatile prospect has got a tremendous amount going for him. He will also have the benefit of having Shaq Thompson and Tahir Whitehead guiding him through the initial stages of his transition to the NFL is head coach Matt Rhule decides to start him at outside linebacker.
Learning from two productive and experienced players such as this will also do Gross-Matos a substantial amount of good going forward.