4 cataclysmic errors that continue to haunt the Carolina Panthers in 2023

Carolina Panthers continue to miss on draft picks

This has been an issue dating back to the days of Marty Hurney and Dave Gettleman. Outside the first round, we rarely saw those two general managers hit on draft picks.

The selection of quarterback Will Grier in the third round back in 2019 is a prime example. However, even the first-round picks can be questioned with general manager Scott Fitterer at the helm.

Jaycee Horn - the No. 8 overall pick in 2021 - is a top-10 cornerback when healthy. Unfortunately, he cannot stay on the field.

With Micah Parsons and Patrick Surtain II both still on the board at that time, the Carolina Panthers may regret that pick. Ikem Ekwonu’s stark regression so far this season has already seen many questioning the pick at No. 6 overall in 2022.

Outside the first round, things have been even worse under Fitterer. The only healthy ones currently making an impact are Tommy Tremble and Chuba Hubbard - not a good return from 19 picks in three drafts.

The issues seem to revolve around Carolina’s obsession with drafting athletic players with high Relative Athletic Scores regardless of what sort of college production they have. Jonathan Mingo at No. 39 overall in 2023 is a prime example of this.

During his four years at Ole Miss, Mingo had just 1,758 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns. Yet he was still taken ahead of someone like Josh Downs, who was still on the board at that time.

Downs - in just three years at North Carolina - had 2,483 receiving yards and 22 touchdowns, dwarfing the production of Mingo.

This has continued into the league. Downs is making clutch plays for the Indianapolis Colts as Mingo runs horrid routes and fails to track the ball consistently through the air.