Grading the Panthers' 2021 Draft Class

[Sir Purr]

Like the Bengals at No. 5, the Panthers had several interesting scenarios at No. 8. The option I didn't see happening is the one they chose, however, as they went with my top-ranked corner Jaycee Horn and made him the first defender off the board. Maybe we should have seen it coming. After all, they used all seven of their picks on defense in last year's draft, Matt Rhule's first as coach, and then the Carolina defense had just seven picks last season. Rhule and new general manager Scott Fitterer are prioritizing that side of the ball. I probably would have gone with offense tackle Rashawn Slater to cement the left tackle spot, but I can't knock the pick much. Horn is a physical, aggressive corner who could be their No. 1 corner as a rookie.


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.