The Carolina Panthers enjoyed an outstanding 2013 season as they went 12-4, finished the season as NFC South champions and clinched the number two seed in the NFC Playoffs. Their season was highlighted heavily by their dominant defense that ranked second in football, led by breakout star pass rusher Greg Hardy and NFL Defensive Player of the Year Luke Kuechly. Overlooked at times, the increased maturity level of third-year quarterback Cam Newton also played a huge role in the Panthers’ climb to the top of the conference. The Panthers have had a rough offseason thus far due to the losses of key veterans, especially their all-time great receiver, Steve Smith. The Panthers would then look to the draft to rejuvenate their offense and more.
2014 Carolina Panthers Draft Picks:
1st Round (28th Overall): Kelvin Benjamin – WR, Florida State
2nd Round (60th Overall): Kony Ealy – DE, Missouri
3rd Round (92nd Overall): Trai Turner – OG, LSU
4th Round (128th Overall): Tre Boston – SS, North Carolina
5th Round (148th Overall): Bene Benwikere – CB, San Jose State
6th Round (204th Overall): Tyler Gaffney – RB, Stanford
Panthers Draft Grade: 5.5/10
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Panthers Draft Review
The Best Player: By selecting Kelvin Benjamin in the first round, the Panthers not only selected their best player, but also their most important player. The Panthers’ receiving corps took a massive hit when they lost both Steve Smith and Brandon LaFell in Free Agency. Although they acquired Jason Avant and Jerricho Cotchery in the offseason, they both have mainly been complementary pieces instead of true, number-one targets. Not only is Benjamin a top receiver, but he is also a big-bodied player who will dominate on the outside, especially in the red zone.
The Best Value Pick: Kelvin Benjamin has the highest value among the Panthers’ draftees. Carolina came into the draft with wide receiver as their top priority. In the NFC South, each team has a highly-productive QB-WR duo (Drew Brees-Marques Colston, Matt Ryan-Roddy White/Julio Jones and insert Tampa Bay QB-Vincent Jackson). Having a passing attack in this division is the key to success.
The Head-Scratcher AND Surprise Pick (at the time): Kony Ealy was the head-scratching selection of the Panthers’ draft. He did have career highs tackles, tackles for a loss and sacks in 2013 at Missouri, but defensive end should not have been an area of focus for Carolina. Greg Hardy had a stellar 2013 season with 15 sacks and 39 tackles. On the other side, Charles Johnson had another solid season with the Panthers as he recorded double-digit sacks for the third time in the last four seasons. The Panthers could have easily done without Ealy. Of course the post-draft behaviour of Hardy may make this pick were valuable, it wasn’t something the Panthers could have known about on draft day.
The Steal: Tyler Gaffney could easily hold this title, but Trai Turner edges him out. Playing a smash-mouth brand of football at LSU, Turner fits the mold perfectly in Carolina. Blocking for guys like Jeremy Hill and Kenny Hillard in college, Turner will pave the way inside for DeAngelo Williams and Johnathan Stewart. With the presence of four-time Pro Center Ryan Kalil, they can become one of the more productive interior linemen pairs in the game.
Most Likely to Make an Impact in 2014: Two Words: Kelvin. Benjamin. It’s just that simple. The pairing of him and Cam Newton will make the Panthers’ passing game much more explosive than it was last year; plus it always helps when a receiver can learn from two productive veteran receivers.
Most Likely to Turn Heads in Camp: Out of the draftees, Tyler Gaffney will likely turn the most heads. Coming out of Stanford, he specializes in the downhill power running game. The Panthers’ General Manager said that Gaffney is “the type of downhill runner they like.” Since Panthers want to limit the wear and tear on DeAngelo Williams and Johnathan Stewart, Gaffney should receive much attention by default.
Bottom Line: The Carolina Panthers made some solid selections, but their final grade draft is a 5.5/10. A tremendous void was left at the left tackle position when three-time Pro Bowler Jordan Gross decided to retire and the Panthers did not draft his replacement. Carolina should have also drafted more receivers since this year was deemed as the deepest WR draft in years.
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