Re-grading the Carolina Panthers draft class after dismal 2021 season
By Dean Jones
How is the Carolina Panthers 2021 draft class looking one year on after a disastrous campaign for the organization that resulted in a 5-12 record?
It was a busy 2021 NFL Draft weekend for the Carolina Panthers. General manager Scott Fitterer announced himself with a frenzied period of trade activity that saw the organization go up and down the board at every possible opportunity. This is something that generated some eye-catching selections throughout the process, which left fans with plenty of reasons to be encouraged in the short and long term.
Things never quite worked out for the Panthers this season. A bright start was completely negated by a pathetic run of 12 losses in 14 games that left Carolina with their third-straight five-win season and more doubts than ever regarding the process under head coach Matt Rhule.
Rhule seems to be sticking around for his third season despite increasing pressure on his shoulders. But with $24 million in cap space and no Day 2 pick in the 2022 draft, it’s going to take a significant amount of maneuvering from those in power to get the Panthers trending in the right direction.
Now that Fitterer has a little more experience, coupled with the expertise of salary-cap manager Samir Suleiman, they could be more influential in terms of recruitment and roster building. Those drafted last spring will also be counted upon to make the necessary improvements to stamp their authority on the team moving forward.
With this in mind, we took a look at the 2021 class and re-graded each selection based on their initial performances and influence.