Dan Morgan made no secret of his desire to build through the draft and restore the Carolina Panthers to the foundations that made this franchise great once upon a time. While results remain poor overall, there's been a lot to like about his first crop of fledgling pros from the college ranks.
The Panthers are relying heavily on their young players considering the constant injury issues and the fact they aren't playing for anything other than pride. They've responded to the challenge effectively, which bodes well for the long-term outlook despite the team bracing itself for another losing campaign under David Tepper's ownership.
It's not just the draft class showing signs of life. The Panthers are also getting more than they bargained for with the undrafted free-agent duo of Demani Richardson and Jalen Coker. There's a lot of hard work ahead, but this represents a tremendous building block en route to sustained prosperity.
With that being said, we took a look at how Carolina's first draft class under Morgan is faring and graded them accordingly at the midway stage of the 2024 campaign.
Re-grading Carolina Panthers 2024 NFL Draft class at the midseason point
Michael Barrett - Former Carolina Panthers LB
- Round No. 7 | No. 240 overall
The Carolina Panthers spent their final draft pick of Dan Morgan's era on Michael Barrett. He didn't have the size or explosiveness normally associated with productive NFL linebackers, but it didn't cost the organization much to find out one way or another.
Barrett struggled to firmly establish himself within Carolina's defensive second level. There were flashes in the preseason but nothing more. Seventh-round selections start from the bottom with nothing guaranteed. It didn't take long to figure out that his chances of making the 53-man roster were hanging by a thread late in the summer.
- Original draft grade: B
- Midseason draft grade: A
This improved draft grade isn't for Barrett's production, but rather for what Morgan turned the pick into. When those in power decided he wouldn't be part of the team's plans, they traded him to the Seattle Seahawks for veteran cornerback Mike Jackson Sr. He's had some moments of struggle with some outstanding production from a prominent starting role thrown in for good measure.
As for the rookie? He made it onto Mike Macdonald's practice squad.