Re-grading the Carolina Panthers draft class after dismal 2021 season

Deonte Brown – Carolina Panthers OG

There was a real sense of excitement when Deonte Brown’s name was called. The interior offensive lineman dominated all in his way at Alabama, but weight issues and slight character concerns saw him slide all the way into the sixth-round before the Carolina Panthers swooped.

Brown was a relative afterthought throughout his rookie season and it’s clear keeping his weight in check was proving difficult. However, the Panthers finally gave him some meaningful reps in their season finale and he didn’t look out of place by any stretch.

Grade: C

It’s a case of “wait and see” regarding Brown, who could become a starter in 2022 providing the necessary changes are made to performance and approach. The physical tools are there, but that’s not going to get you far at the next level unless other sacrifices are made.

Shi Smith – Carolina Panthers WR

The former South Carolina wide receiver didn’t get much of a look as a rookie, which wasn’t entirely unexpected beforehand as the Panthers saw him more as a development project with the potential to contribute later in the season.

With that being said, it was strange for Carolina to overlook Shi Smith so much considering their lack of production in the passing game outside of D.J. Moore. But time will tell as to whether this was an indictment of what the coaching staff thought of his progress.

Grade: C

This is a big upcoming offseason for Smith. And there might just be an opening in terms of targets providing the new offensive coordinator likes what he sees in the player.