5 draft tips for Carolina Panthers fans heading into 2023 offseason

Film and analytics can coexist

One thing that is certainly a guarantee during the draft process is that the film and analytics gurus will butt heads throughout the offseason.

There is a sense from both communities that one side has to be right and the other is always wrong. This leads to toxic debate among analysts and fans alike in either group.

It took me a couple of years to mature and grow regarding this subject. But both film and analytics can coexist in draft evaluations.

Shocking, I know.

The use of film for prospect evaluations is a big component of understanding what and who a player is on the field, what they do well, and what they need to improve. However, there are outliers, especially for some prospects with very little production in college.

This is where the analytics come in.

In each draft cycle, you will see a prospect with a lot of production in his college career. You would think that this player is very good, right?

In plenty of instances that is the case. However, a prospect may not be as talented or as well-rounded as the production suggests, and former Carolina Panthers undrafted free-agent Keyarris Garrett is a great example.

There are also players that may not have a ton of production in college. Yet, they are quite talented but raw with high ceilings to be a potential difference-maker in the NFL.

You will have prime examples such as Danielle Hunter, who wasn’t productive at LSU but became one of the league’s best pass rushers with the Minnesota Vikings thanks to his physical, athletic profile.

Understanding what a player is on film and the production he had in college are both important. It doesn’t need to be a competition.