2011 Carolina Panthers NFL Draft Needs
The Carolina Panthers are on the clock. Let’s take a look at their biggest needs and how they might address those needs in the 2011 NFL Draft.
1. Defensive Tackle: Coming off a 2-14 season and looking to start fresh under new coach Ron Rivera, Carolina needs to make a splash on draft day. The Panthers have holes to fill all over the field but the defensive line appears to be where they need the most help. The Panthers have the No. 1 overall pick so they will be looking at players like Alabama’s Marcell Dareus and Auburn’s Nick Fairley if they choose to address the D-line first. Fairley is the best interior pass rusher in his class but questions about his work ethic and character have been raised by teams looking at him. Fairley is the right pick here if the Panthers are getting the player who dominated the BCS Championship game. Unfortunately, game tape has revealed that he likes to take plays off. The going is likely to be tough in Carolina for a few years, which means Fairley may not be very motivated. With this in mind, Dareus may be the safer pick.
2. Quarterback: General manager Marty Hurney considers quarterback a top priority after the way Matt Moore and Jimmy Clausen struggled last season. Hurney could have a tough time passing up Missouri’s Blaine Gabbert with the No.1 overall selection. If he decides Gabbert isn’t the quarterback of the future, the Panthers could still go after a signal caller in later rounds. I think Gabbert has all the makings of a solid pro. He has a strong arm and good mobility. With the impact quarterbacks like Matt Ryan and Sam Bradford have made the last few years, I wouldn’t be surprised if the Panthers go after Gabbert.
3. Cornerback – If Carolina decides to take the best overall player approach, it could look to fill its need in the secondary with LSU’s Patrick Peterson. We’ve seen what having a lock-down corner has done for the New York Jets. Still, teams don’t usually take cornerbacks with the No. 1 overall pick. Think about some of the top cornerback prospects over the last 25 years. Rod Woodson fell to 10th overall in 1987. Deion Sanders went fifth in 1989. Champ Bailey was taken seventh in the 1999 draft. Peterson is a freakish athlete (ran a 4.34 40-yard dash at the combine), and largely considered the best overall player on the big board, but that may not be enough to keep the Panthers from addressing their defensive tackle or quarterback needs first.
4. Defensive End – The loss of Julius Peppers leaves a need at defensive end as well. Without him, Carolina’s defensive line suffered and its pass rush was lacking. While it might be a stretch for this spot to be addressed at No. 1 overall, it isn’t out of the realm of possibility for the Panthers to take a guy like Texas A&M’s Von Miller or Clemson’s Da’Quan Bowers. Both have the potential to be game-changing pass rushers at the next level.
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