And just like that, the Carolina Panthers have navigated the 2024 NFL Draft. Dan Morgan had a tremendous amount of pressure on his shoulders to get things right without a first-round selection to call upon. Some might not have liked his moves, but there was a plan of attack and conviction to every choice that was seemingly lacking under previous regimes.
The old ways of finding athletic prospects with upside didn't go away. After all, this is the same scouting team aside from some minor tweaks due to team owner David Tepper promoting Morgan rather than completely hitting the reset button. Carolina's picks also told us plenty about what sort of playing style we're likely to see from head coach Dave Canales when the 2024 campaign arrives.
As expected, the headlines were plentiful in the draft's immediate aftermath. Among the stories causing debate include Canales' thoughts on the 2024 class and what the Panthers were able to accomplish, the prospect of going back for Stephon Gilmore, Morgan's thoughts on trading Miles Sanders, and the undrafted free-agent frenzy.
Let's delve into each topic in more detail.
Carolina Panthers to sign Stephon Gilmore?
Dan Morgan always stated that the Carolina Panthers would go back to discuss a possible deal with cornerback Stephon Gilmore after the draft. The general manager didn't acquire one until Day 3 when Chau Smith-Wade was brought into the fold, so the chances of reaching out to the former NFL Defensive Player of the Year are high looking at the options available.
When discussing the prospect of acquiring Gilmore once his draft commitments had concluded, Morgan stated that the door wasn't shut entirely and they would keep talking. However, the front-office leader seemed excited about what Smith-Wade could bring to the franchise despite his slender frame.
“First off, we’re really excited about Chau. He can play inside, he can play outside. So we liked his versatility. He’s good on special teams. I think he’s a guy that can really contribute and make us better. I think, obviously, at every position, we’re gonna look to improve—not just the corner position.
“But again, we’re gonna try to create depth and competition everywhere. And as far as Stephon, we’re not gonna close the door on anything and we’ll continue to talk and explore and see where that goes.”
The Panthers ignored some top-level cornerback talent early in the draft. Whether this comes back to haunt them is debatable, but signing a proven veteran and quiet leader such as Gilmore provides the Panthers with short-term relief during a critical first stage of their rebuilding process.
Carolina Panthers to trade Miles Sanders?
More than a few eyebrows were raised when the Carolina Panthers traded up in the second round for running back Jonathon Brooks. Perhaps it was Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones' revelations about their desire to land the Texas prospect that prompted drastic action, but this wasn't exactly a glaring need compared to others.
It's no secret that the Panthers are going to run the football heavily under head coach Dave Canales. In turn, this will also make things easier for quarterback Bryce Young, who quickly became the biggest priority above all else this offseason. Brooks is coming off a serious knee injury, but he looks like the sort of three-down presence that could handle No. 1 duties with a smooth transition.
This casts doubt on those already around. There won't be room for everybody - something that raised fresh speculation about a potential trade for Miles Sanders despite the Panthers paying his $2 million roster bonus recently.
When asked about the possibility of moving Sanders on, Morgan stole a line from his predecessor Scott Fitterer that will cause some PTSD among the fanbase. He also didn't appear to indicate that anything other than the former Penn State star sticking around was plausible all things considered.
“I think it’s just more . . . we’re always gonna be, if you wanna say, in on every deal,. We’re always gonna keep our ear to the pavement and just kinda be open to everything.
“In terms of Miles, we love Miles. We see a big role for him. I think Dave [Canales] will tell you the same thing—we think really highly of Miles, we love Miles. He can do a lot for our offense. He’s versatile in the pass game and he’s a really good runner. So we’re excited about him as well.”
Maybe it'll be Raheem Blackshear as the odd man out, but there are a few teams in need of running back assistance after the draft. Watch this space, I guess.
Dave Canales on Carolina Panthers draft class
The Carolina Panthers 2024 NFL Draft class is complete. Despite not having a first-round pick going into the process, Dan Morgan took advantage of trade opportunities when they arrived, getting a fifth-year option on wide receiver Xavier Legette's contract and even a 2025 second-rounder after striking a deal with the Los Angeles Rams.
There was an emphasis on giving quarterback Bryce Young improved weapons in the passing game. The No. 1 pick last year seemingly has no more excuses ahead of a potential bounce-back campaign. How he performs within a scheme tailored to his strengths and with better protection will tell us plenty about what to expect from the signal-caller moving forward.
Here's what the Panthers managed to acquire from an eventful seven-round process:
- Round 1 (Pick No. 32) - Xavier Legette (WR)
- Round 2 (Pick No. 46) - Jonathon Brooks (RB)
- Round 3 (Pick No. 76) - Trevin Wallace (LB)
- Round 4 (Pick No. 101) - Ja'Tavion Sanders (TE)
- Round 5 (Pick No. 157) - Chau Smith-Wade (CB)
- Round 6 (Pick No. 200) - Jaden Crumedy (DL)
- Round No. 7 (Pick No. 240) - Michael Barrett (LB)
There will be plenty of fallout from the draft. Some players have fallen in the pecking order due to Carolina's incoming recruits. Others might be cast aside entirely as part of Morgan's roster revamp. There's also the undrafted free-agent class to factor into the equation.
Canales seemed happy with how things unfolded. He specifically mentioned the injection of energy to the offense - something he believes can increase competition and overall standards when the time to ramp up preparations arrives.
"I feel like we really took advantage of some of those spots to bring a bunch of talent into our roster. Specifically talking about the offense, with a running back, a receiver and a tight end, skill-wise, just really bringing a little bit of juice there to really challenge that whole group and elevate the offense. So I'm really excited about what we did there."
This draft symbolized what the Panthers have done throughout their first offseason under Morgan. The heavy investments were on offense. After that, it was defensive prospects hoping accomplished coordinator Ejiro Evero could work his magic.
It's a risk. But one that was necessary to give Young a fighting chance.
Carolina Panthers undrafted free agents (so far)
The college selection process doesn't stop once the 2024 NFL Draft concludes. When the rounds start diminishing, teams begin making calls to see what it might take for prospects to join as undrafted free agents. The Carolina Panthers were no different, working the phones quickly and picking up a plethora of unheralded prospects who can hopefully maximize the significant opportunity awaiting them.
According to reports from insiders and draft analysts with knowledge of various transactions, the Panthers have signed several prospects who didn't do enough to hear their names called for one reason or another. Here's the list so far with the promise of more on the way:
- QB Jack Plummer (Louisville)
- WR Sam Pinckney (Coastal Carolina)
- LB Taylor Upshaw (Arizona)
- WR Jalen Coker (Holy Cross)
- DL Popo Aumavae (Oregon)
- CB Willie Drew (Virginia State)
- OL Jeremiah Crawford (Tennessee)
- OLB Derrick McClendon II (Colorado)
- WR Devin Carter (West Virginia)
- RB Jaden Shirden (Monmouth)
- S Clayton Isbell (Coastal Carolina)
- C Andrew Raym (Oklahoma)
- K Harrison Mevis (Missouri)
Just how many of these end up making the 53-man roster remains to be seen. There are plenty of success stories of undrafted players around the league who went on to have prolific careers. Some even made the Pro Football Hall of Fame - although these are becoming increasingly rare in the modern-day game.
Dave Canales is looking for his newly acquired injection of youth to increase competition across all position groups. This, in turn, should heighten standards in terms of production both during practices and when competitive games arrive.
So many new faces take time to mesh. But with the Panthers' rookie and mandatory minicamps on the immediate horizon, the onus will be on the enthusiastic Canales and his staff to get everyone on the same page en route to potentially better fortunes under his leadership.