4 players the Panthers wish they would have drafted in 2020
By Dean Jones
James Robinson – RB
- Undrafted – Jacksonville Jaguars
- Carolina Panthers 7th round pick – Stantley Thomas-Oliver
James Robinson is a rag to riches story that every prospect who goes undrafted should inspire to become. The running back didn’t hear his name called despite a promising college career at Illinois State. But this chip on his shoulder served him well when he was given an opportunity to make a roster with the Jacksonville Jaguars.
To say Robinson made the most of this would be something of an understatement. He exploded onto the scene and became a surprise that nobody saw coming, gaining 1,070 rushing yards from 240 touches over a 14-game span with seven touchdowns. This was further enhanced by 49 receptions, 334 receiving yards, and three scores – bringing his yards from scrimmage total to 1,414.
Not bad for a back that everybody wrote off.
The Carolina Panthers spent their seventh-round pick on Stantley Thomas-Oliver, who did show some promise in a limited role but needs more time to develop in pursuit of becoming a starter down the line.
Had the Panthers taken a chance on Robinson, he may have enjoyed similar success considering the injury problems suffered by Christian McCaffrey this season.
Mike Davis did perform well in the All-Pro’s absence. But a one-two punch of McCaffrey and Robinson would have been almost unstoppable moving forward in Carolina.