Carolina Panthers 2021 Expectations

Rookie GM Scott Fitterer was quite active before and during the draft and has already recouped some of what he spent on Darnold. Since then, Fitterer has busily gone to work in a bid to help his new quarterback – something the Jets didn’t do nearly enough – WR Terrace Marshall Jr., LT Brady Christensen, TE Tommy Tremble and RB Chuba Hubbard all coming after Round 1. And that first round did net CB Jaycee Horn, the first defender picked in 2021. Fitterer will need to hope Marshall is healthy enough to contribute and that he didn’t miscalculate when Fields was available at No. 8, but plenty for the people of Charlotte to be pumped about.

Grade: B+

ESPN

I never thought the Panthers would go with a quarterback after they traded for Sam Darnold — the Jets will get Carolina’s 2022 second-rounder as the main asset in the deal — and they committed to Darnold for 2022 by picking up his option on Friday. They also showed a commitment to helping Darnold with three Day 2 picks on offense. Terrace Marshall Jr. (59) reunites with offensive coordinator Joe Brady, who helped scheme up one of the best offenses in college football history at LSU in 2019. Marshall caught 23 touchdown passes in 2019-20. The Panthers’ receivers struggled with drops last season, and Marshall is a nice No. 3 option. (They also traded down twice and still got him, adding extra assets, including a 2022 fourth-round pick from Houston.)

I wasn’t as high on offensive tackle Brady Christensen (70) as a few others in the league, but he should compete for the left tackle job with free-agent signing Cameron Erving. Tommy Tremble (83) is a much better blocker than receiver, so Round 3 is rich for a blocking tight end. It is a need, though, as Carolina’s tight ends combined for an NFL-low 204 receiving yards last season. I’m just not sure Tremble will help much as a pass-catcher in 2021.

Chuba Hubbard (126) is a good running back who will compete for a role behind Christian McCaffrey. Defensive tackle Daviyon Nixon (158) had a stellar season at Iowa, and he could be a fifth-round steal. Guard Deonte Brown (193) is a brick wall in the run game. My guy Todd McShay really liked wideout Shi Smith (204), whose numbers were limited because of inconsistent quarterback play. He could be a steal.

This is a quality class, headed up by two players who should help immediately.

Grade: B

Pro Football Focus

Day 1: Jaycee Horn is the first defensive player selected in the 2021 NFL Draft. Horn, the son of former NFL receiver Joe Horn, is a truly elite press-man coverage cornerback. He is a physical nuisance who gets under the skin of receivers across from him. His press-man skills aren’t quite a scheme fit with the Panthers, who like to play their cornerbacks in off positions, something Horn will have to improve on quickly at the next level.

Day 2: Marshall slid this far in the draft because of medical concerns, but on the field, he is a first-round talent and one of the few “big receivers” in this draft. Since the start of 2019, he has generated a perfect NFL passer rating of 158.3 when targeted. The LSU product has the potential to develop into a true No. 1 X receiver at the next level.

Christensen pairs high-end production (96.0 PFF grade in 2020) with high-end athleticism, testing at the 90th percentile or better across the board at his BYU Pro Day. His biggest concern entering the NFL is whether he can hold up at tackle with 32-inch arms. That’s generally below the requisite threshold for starting tackles in the league, but Christensen may be worth a shot given Carolina’s other options at the position. At worst, he should be a quality alternative to Pat Elflein at left guard.

Tremble has been one of the hot names coming out of draft analysts’ mouths over the past few months — a throwback player who wills his opponents into submission with physicality and tenacity. He’s not a receiver — more fullback than tight end — but he’s a player you want on your roster. The Panthers now have a tone-setter on their offense.

Day 3: Daviyon Nixon stands out as one of the better values of the fifth round so far, even with him coming in significantly lower on PFF’s Big Board than most around the industry. Nixon has quick feet and plays the position violently. He just didn’t show much high-end on tape, posting middling PFF grades of 71.5 and 73.1 in his two seasons at Iowa. That becomes less of an issue with him coming off the board this late in the process.

Draft Grade: B-