Grading the Carolina Panthers’ last 5 first-round draft picks

Christian McCaffrey – Carolina Panthers RB

• No. 8 overall selection

There were some eyebrows raised when the Carolina Panthers selected Christian McCaffrey at No. 8 overall out of Stanford. The running back came into the NFL with the biggest of reputations, but the organization had much more pressing needs at the time which left the pick subject to criticism from some.

Those who were critical of the selection were made to eat their words. McCaffrey shone on a rotational basis as a rookie before taking off in no uncertain terms over a two-year spell in 2018-19 that saw him emerge as the league’s best dual-threat player at the position.

McCaffrey was given plenty of responsibility by the Panthers as Cam Newton’s injury problems began to surface. Something he handled extremely well over this period and led to him becoming only the third player in NFL history to go over 1,000 rushing and receiving yards in the same season.

This resulted in the Panthers giving McCaffrey a bumper four-year deal. But things haven’t gone according to plan since thanks to a series of frustrating injuries that restricted the All-Pro to just ten games in two years.

Carolina avoided the temptation to trade the player this offseason. So hopefully, the coaching staff can find a way to maximize his production while keeping McCaffrey fresh and firing for the entire campaign.

Pick Grade: A

Although it’s been a frustrating couple of seasons for McCaffrey and the Panthers, this was a great pick and the organization has benefitted significantly from his presence when healthy.