4 surprising moves the Panthers made during the 2021 NFL Draft
By Dean Jones
What were the more surprising moves made by the Carolina Panthers during the 2021 NFL Draft?
It was an NFL Draft that certainly wasn’t boring for the Carolina Panthers. The team was one of the most active in terms of trade activity up and down the board over the three days, generating 11 selections that should provide plenty of extra depth and instant impact if their latest batch of college recruits enjoy a smooth transition to the professional ranks.
General manager Scott Fitterer looked like an old pro despite this being his first draft calling the shots since being appointed earlier this year. It’s clear his time working in war rooms with the Seattle Seahawks served him extremely well and if his reputation for finding late-round gems follows him to Carolina, it should benefit the franchise greatly in 2021 and beyond.
Nobody knows for sure how draft picks will pan out. But the Panthers definitely have a type and if their athleticism and high assessment scores translate to production on the field, it might see Carolina emerge as a surprising candidate to reach the playoffs providing Sam Darnold lives up to his end of the bargain.
With this in mind, let’s take a look at four surprising moves made by the Panthers during the 2021 NFL Draft.
Surprise No. 1
Carolina Panthers took a CB in Round 1
This wasn’t a jaw-dropping surprise by any stretch of the imagination. But considering the need for a franchise tackle and the growing calls for the Panthers to take Justin Fields at No. 8, it did come as something of a shock to see them select cornerback Jaycee Horn with their first-round pick.
Horn has everything one looks for in a potential shutdown corner at the next level and he is going to help tremendously. However, protecting Sam Darnold is absolutely vital if Carolina wants to give their recent acquisition every chance of thriving in a different environment, so perhaps Rashawn Slater might have been worthy of consideration at this juncture.
If Fields ends up being a Pro Bowl-caliber signal-caller, then fans will question the Horn pick even more. This might end up being a masterstroke by the Panthers to acquire the South Carolina product, but his production isn’t necessarily going to define whether this selection was the right one.