Carolina Panthers draft Bucky Irving
- Running Back | Oregon Ducks
- Round No. 4 | Pick No. 101
- Original pick: Ja'Tavion Sanders (TE)
Ja'Tavion Sanders is a good player with a bright future. The Carolina Panthers abruptly ended his draft slide at the start of Day 3. They saw something in the athletic tight end worth taking a chance on. He repaid them with some encouraging performances.
Sanders became a decent asset in the passing game, gaining more receiving yards than any Panthers tight end since Greg Olsen. His production tailed off after suffering a neck issue against the Kansas City Chiefs, but there was far more good than bad regarding his first-year output.
There was a temptation to stand pat with Sanders in this re-draft. However, for reasons we'll get to a little later, the choice was running back Bucky Irving.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers got a steal with the backfield force. They relied on Irving heavily as the campaign wore on and he duly delivered, displaying a unique blend of patience, contact balance, and aggression to surge into the No. 1 spot and become one of the league's most productive running backs along the way.
Irving is going to be a thorn in Carolina's side for years to come. He gashed them for 265 rushing yards and one score on the ground in their two meetings this season. He also gained more than 100 receiving yards from seven receptions.
Carolina Panthers draft Calen Bullock
- Safety | USC Trojans
- Round No. 3 | Pick No. 72
- Original pick: Trevin Wallace (LB)
The Panthers raised a few eyebrows when Trevin Wallace was taken at No. 72 overall in the 2024 NFL Draft. General manager Dan Morgan saw something in the linebacker that gave him confidence. His athletic upside was encouraging, but the jury is still out regarding his long-term outlook.
Wallace was projected to be a core rotational piece throughout his rookie campaign. Those plans changed when veteran linebacker Shaq Thompson was dealt another cruel blow on the health front after just two games thanks to a torn Achilles that ruled him out for the entire campaign.
This thrust Wallace into the limelight. There were some decent flashes from the Kentucky product. It wasn't perfect by any stretch of the imagination, but this experience in Year 1 of his professional career should serve him well moving forward.
Considering the complications Carolina went through at the safety position and the uncertain status of the position group heading into 2025, Calen Bullock is the pick instead.
The Houston Texans got some outstanding production from the former USC star right out of the gate. He gave up just 42.9 percent of his targets and a measly 37.3 passer rating when targeted. Bullock also managed to secure five interceptions and 11 pass breakups as a result of his outstanding efforts.