Carolina Panthers 2021 Draft: Ranking the top-10 wide receivers
By Dean Jones
No. 9: Amon-Ra St. Brown – USC
Working primarily out of the slot, Amon-Ra St. Brown has made a real name for himself over the last two years. The USC standout has superb athleticism and all the agility needed to make a real go of things at the next level. So if the Carolina Panthers are on the lookout for a potential replacement for Curtis Samuel, he should be high on the shortlist.
St. Brown has a rare ability to impact the passing game all over the field. He has enough fast-twitch speed to get open quickly over short to intermediate routes, with the wideout also possessing the sort of burst that can make a big impression down the field.
No. 8: Dyami Brown – North Carolina
Dyami Brown will be no stranger to Panthers fans having played his college football at North Carolina. He benefitted enormously from their aerial attack led by quarterback Sam Howell, who is a contender to go No. 1 overall in the 2022 NFL Draft.
Brown enters the NFL off back-to-back seasons with more than 1,000 receiving yards and is a big play waiting to happen at any moment. His ability to catch vertically under pressure is outstanding and the player’s progress over intermediate routes with improved sharpness out of his cuts should ensure his transition to the NFL is a smooth one.
No. 7: Terrace Marshall Jr. – LSU
Few would argue that Terrace Marshall Jr. boosted his draft stock considerably in 2020. He made the most out of additional targets that came his way after playing a secondary role behind Justin Jefferson in 2019, who was a first-round pick by the Minnesota Vikings and went out to light up the league in his rookie season.
Marshall is a well-rounded wide receiver that has all the size, physicality, and athleticism to be an instant contributor. There were some slight issues regarding drops last season that need work. But the ceiling is extremely high where the LSU stud is concerned.