Panthers have WR among deepest positions on draft board, and a long-term need on roster
When discussing what the Carolina Panthers need to address at the 2021 NFL draft, certain positions of need stand out: Offensive line, left tackle, cornerback, tight end and perhaps even quarterback. Wide receiver might find its way toward the back of the list.
However, when general manager Scott Fitterer was asked during the pre-draft news conference what the deepest positions on the team’s draft board are this year, wide receiver made the cut.
“Deepest positions would be press corner, tackle, receiver. That’s where our most numbers are on the draft board,” Fitterer said.
Often, pre-draft news conferences suffer from a lack of information, but those positions fit well for the Panthers. All three were included in The Observer’s list of positions the Panthers need to address in the draft this year, and we have spent time breaking down cornerbacks to watch for in the draft and dug into the offensive line needs.
Let’s finish it out with wide receiver.
Many draft analysts have noted that this is a deep receiver class, similar to last year. The luxury of a deep pool of talent at positions like corner and offensive tackle is that if the Panthers do not address those spots early, there will still be players who can help the team in the later rounds. The same is true for the wide receiver position, although the need for help is not as great. It’s not corner, where there is an obvious need for a starter, or left tackle, where turnover has been the theme since Jordan Gross retired after the 2013 season.
So, where’s the need, and what about the draft?
Position of need?
A large part of this is looking ahead to the future.
Former first-round pick DJ Moore remains the team’s leading receiver. Moore is entering the final year of his rookie contract, however, and the team has until May 3 to pick up the receiver’s fifth-year option, which would pay him $11.1 million in 2022, a relatively high price point. He is coming off a career-high 1,193 receiving yards despite 21 less receptions than the year prior. Moore averaged 18.1 yards per reception in 2021, but his touchdown totals have continued to be low (four each in the past two seasons), and he’ll have to increase those numbers to take his game to the next level.
Robby Anderson, the other top receiver remaining after Curtis Samuel signed in Washington following a career-year, signed a two-year, $20 million deal last offseason, and will look to be paid well next year. He is coming off a three-touchdown season.
Former Seattle Seahawks receiver David Moore was added in free agency, and he will be a welcome red-zone target for whomever is playing quarterback. Keith Kirkwood will have a chance to be a contributor to the offense now that he will be healthy.
Outside of that, the Panthers have a host of developmental players and likely special teams contributors. With the departure of Pharoh Cooper this offseason, there is not a clear returner on the roster, although running back Trenton Cannon filled some of that role late in 2020.
A case for and against addressing the position in this year’s draft comes down to how the team is being viewed. It is less of an obvious short-term hole, but youth at receiver is limited in the years to come.
Addressing it in the draft
The first round of the draft could go in a variety of directions, and a large part of that is based on how the first 10 picks play out. Florida tight end Kyle Pitts being selected early could leave the top wide receivers in the class — LSU’s Ja’Marr Chase and DeVonta Smith and Jaylen Waddle from Alabama — available a bit later on. All three would upgrade Carolina’s receiving group right away.
Trading back in the draft has remained high on the list of possible actions for the Panthers, and some of those players could possibly still be sitting on the draft board, waiting to be selected if the team elects to move back. Chase has appeared to be the most likely to be picked first, with the Cincinnati Bengals expected to be interested at No. 5. He is largely considered the best at the position this year and could be hard to pass on if he somehow dropped, but both Waddle and Heisman winner-Smith also have the potential to go in the top 10. Some of it will depend on how the top quarterbacks get selected.
Using an early pick, anywhere in the first couple of rounds, would improve the offense, but it would not solve the question marks at other positions. It would benefit this team to add a Day 1 or 2 pass-catcher, but cases can be made that adding offensive linemen and a tight end should be prioritized to satisfy immediate needs and those in the future.
The Panthers also have the luxury of a healthy Christian McCaffrey being one of the team’s top receiving threats, but coach Matt Rhule said the team would be looking to add players who could benefit the team down the road. Getting younger on offense, including receiver, is a large part of that, and there will be multiple opportunities to add to that group this week.
Receivers that could help after Day 1:
Day 2: Dyami Brown (UNC), Amari Rodgers (Clemson).
Day 3: Josh Palmer (Tennessee), Shi Smith (South Carolina), Simi Fehoko (Stanford), Dez Fitzpatrick (Louisville).
This story was originally published April 27, 2021 at 5:50 PM with the headline "Panthers have WR among deepest positions on draft board, and a long-term need on roster."
