Ranking the 10 worst draft picks in Carolina Panthers franchise history
By Luke Gray
What are some of the worst-ever draft picks chosen by the Carolina Panthers during a brief history spanning almost three decades?
Matt Rhule hasn’t had much to smile about since he became the Carolina Panthers’ head coach ahead of the 2020 season. However, one tick in the box is his draft selections.
With the guidance of general managers Marty Hurney and Scott Fitterer, Rhule has managed to come away from his three drafts with more hits than misses, which is all anyone can ask for.
It should be noted that from the 2020 and 2021 classes, all players drafted are still on the Panthers roster, which is a plus for Rhule and his scouting team.
The Panthers became the first NFL team to select all defensive players in 2020. During that pandemic season, every individual drafted played some sort of role whether be as a starter or a special teams ace.
Scott Fitterer – who during his time with the Seattle Seahawks – was known for his prowess in the draft process. Something that came to the fore in 2021 with Carolina trading up and down the board five times en route to 11 selections.
And despite only having five picks in the 2022 draft due to trades for Sam Darnold and C.J. Henderson, the Panthers ended the night with six and filled needs at left tackle, quarterback, linebacker, and edge rusher.
It’s a credit to Rhule that none of his picks as a head coach make this list. Thomas Fletcher is however an honorable mention, who could forget the viral “you coming bro?” clip that showed the former Baylor man making the call to the Alabama long snapper.
Without further ado, we ranked the 10 worst draft picks in Panthers franchise history.