Carolina Panthers: 2013 NFL Draft do-over (5 rounds)
By Josh Linares
CENTRAL FLORIDA. A.J.BOUYE. 182. player. Scouting Report. Pick Analysis. CB. 87
Carolina Panthers Pick No. 182: A.J. Bouye over Kenjon Barner
With their last pick in the 2013 draft, the Carolina Panthers went with a skill position selecting Oregon star Kenjon Barner. But he only spent one year with the team.
In his rookie year, Barner was playing behind two running backs in their prime in DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart. And when they weren’t getting carries it was often Mike Tolbert who took over the rushing duties.
Following his rookie year with the Panthers, Barner was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles for a conditional seventh-round pick. Carolina essentially traded him away to get their pick back.
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Barner spent four years with the Eagles but never turned into a starting running back for them having to play behind LeSean McCoy and Darren Sproles. Over those four seasons, he had 310 rushing yards and three touchdowns.
The Panthers brought Barner back for a short period but he didn’t see the field a lot before being released and signing with the New England Patriots. He didn’t get a lot of playing time and left the following season.
Barner spent this past season with the Atlanta Falcons but still hasn’t been in a starting role. He isn’t currently on a team but it is likely he will find a home next season.
The Panthers should have passed on and selected a player that went undrafted but wound up being a star defensive back.
A.J. Bouye went undrafted and signed with the Houston Texans. He spent four years with the team and was a solid cornerback for them.
In his four years with the Texans, Bouye never became the full-time starter but he still contributed a lot. From 2013 to 2016 the corner totaled six interceptions, 32 passes defended, and 140 total tackles.
Following the 2016 season, Bouye signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars. He quickly became a well-known corner for every offensive coordinator and quarterback.
In the 2017 season, the Jaguars had the best defense in the league and one of the best in the past decade. Bouye started all 16 games and put up some great numbers. He finished with six interceptions, 18 passes defended, and 56 total tackles. This saw the corner make the Pro Bowl and help Jacksonville make a deep playoff run.
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Bouye spent two more seasons with the Jaguars but never had another season like that 2017 year. He was recently traded to the Denver Broncos to get a fresh start with a team that has a great history of talented corners like Champ Bailey and Chris Harris Jr.