Grading Panthers position groups on offense after the 2021 draft
By Noah Bryce
After an exciting and somewhat surprising draft, how do the Carolina Panthers’ position groups on offense look going into the 2021 season?
The 2021 NFL Draft is over and done with and what an exciting one it was. With a record amount of trades by the Carolina Panthers and numerous surprising picks, we can at least say it wasn’t boring even if none of these players end up panning out.
Rookie general manager Scott Fitterer came out swinging in his new position for the Panthers, wasting no time in making a big splash with passing on Justin Fields who some consider the best quarterback in the draft not named Trevor Lawrence.
The Panthers evidently have a lot of faith in the recently acquired Sam Darnold, picking up his fifth-year option, and we can only hope that faith is not misplaced as if it was, the Fields decision just might cost some jobs.
Most of the team’s picks were even centered around giving the former New York Jet the best possible opportunity to thrive in a warmer climate. Even with that somewhat controversial decision, this draft seems to be a resounding success with positions of need gaining much-needed reinforcements and rich positions getting even better.
Fitterer worked his draft board masterfully and while some of his selections weren’t necessarily expected, there aren’t any that stand out as particularly bad or are even considered reaches.
How the grading works.
A lot of people put out grades for picks and players signed in the offseason. While most accept the ratings of different free agent signings some think that grading incoming rookies is unnecessary or pointless considering they are unknown.
However, all rankings are merely a projection based on their past performance, college or otherwise. So all grades should be taken with a grain of salt and we should also be careful not to overhype any particular player. Even if they are considered a “can’t-miss prospect”, of which there is no such thing.
With that brief explanation out of the way, let’s take a look at how the Panthers’ position groups on offense grade out following their draft selections.