| RD(PK) | PLAYER | POS | SCHOOL |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1(30) | Vernon Butler | DT | Louisiana Tech |
| 2(31) | James Bradberry | CB | Samford |
| 3(14) | Daryl Worley | CB | West Virginia |
| 5(2) | Zack Sanchez | CB | Oklahoma |
| 7(31) | Beau Sandland | TE | Montana State |
2016 Outlook
Coaching Staff
HC: Ron Rivera
OC: Mike Shula
DC: Sean McDermott
ST: Bruce DeHaven
Offense
QB. Cam Newton, Derek Anderson
RB. Jonathan Stewart, Cameron Artis-Payne
FB. Mike Tolbert
WR. Kelvin Benjamin, Corey Brown
WR. Ted Ginn, Stephen Hill
WR. Devin Funchess
TE. Greg Olsen, Ed Dickson
LT. Michael Oher, David Foucault
LG. Andrew Norwell, David Yankey
C. Ryan Kalil, Gino Gradkowski
RG. Trai Turner, Chris Scott
RT. Mike Remmers, Daryl Williams
Defense
DE. Charles Johnson, Mario Addison
DT. Kawann Short, Vernon Butler
DT. Star Lotulelei, Paul Soliai
DE. Kony Ealy, Wes Horton
OLB. Shaq Thompson, AJ Klein
MLB. Luke Kuechly, David Mayo
OLB. Thomas Davis, Ben Jacobs
CB. James Bradberry, Robert McClain
SS. Tre Boston, Dean Marlowe
FS. Kurt Coleman, Colin Jones
CB. Daryl Worley, Bene Benwikere
NB. Zach Sanchez
Special Teams
K. Graham Gano
P. Mike Scifres
Breakdown
Offense:
Offensively, even with Benjamin back at receiver, I have a hard time seeing the Panthers duplicating the success they had in 2015. Don’t get me wrong, they should still be among the top offenses in the league, but 31 points per game is tough to replicate. I expect Cam Newton to have another elite season both as a runner and passer. Getting Benjamin back in the fold will be huge on it’s own. That, combined with the development of the other receivers who were forced to grow up a year ago, should make for a deadlier passing game in Carolina. Tedd Ginn, Devin Funchess, and Corey Brown will all push for playing time at receiver alongside Benjamin. And of course we can’t forget about Newton’s top target, tight end Greg Olsen, who has been a model of consistency for years now. Jonathan Stewart and Mike Tolbert, the league’s most used fullback, will work together with Cam to form 1 of the league’s most intriguing ground attacks. As far as the O-line goes, if the Panthers can get any kind of improvement and consistent play from the tackle positions, which they failed to address in the draft or via free agency, then we’re literally talking about a top 3 offensive line. The interior group was incredibly dominant in 2015, led by RG Trai Turner. The 3rd-year LSU product simply was a man among boys a year ago and he was only in his 2nd year. There is nowhere to go but up for him. Center Ryan Kalil has been a very good center for a while now and had another fine year last season and is showing no signs of slowing down now. At LG is another guy who thrived in his 2nd year with plenty of room to still get better in Andrew Norwell. The former undrafted free agent has worked very hard and proved a lot of people wrong. But how will the tackles perform is the question. Both Miachael Oher, the starting LT, and Mike Remmers, the RT, are back in their same roles and I don’t expect much improvement from either. The Panthers found a way to work around it all of last season so I don’t think it will be a major issue but against the teams with truly elite edge rushers, the Panthers could find themselves in trouble like they did in the Super Bowl.
Defense:
The Panthers either know a hell of a lot more about their rookie class of corners than anybody else or will simply be in for a rude awakening when the season starts. This team let Josh Norman walk, signed Brandon Boykin in free agency only to cut him months before camp, and Charles Tillman retired. At this very moment, the top 3 corners on this team’s depth chart are the 3 rookies they picked in the 2016 draft, none of whom were picked in the 1st round. Kurt Coleman is the one veteran in the secondary at FS and they will need every bit of his experience and leadership to help this group moving forward. Tre Boston will start at the other safety spot to round out what is a highly questionable secondary. The good news is that the Panthers still have an elite front 7. It starts up front in the middle to be precise where Kawann Short, Star Lotulelei, and now 1st-round pick Vernon Butler combine to form the most talented group of DTs in the NFL. Veteran Charles Johnson is back to play DE after taking a pay cut to remain with this team and 3rd-year man Kony Ealy looks to take over as a full-time starter for the first time in his career. He was 1 of the top end prospects in the 2014 class and should be more than ready to contribute as a starter. The linebacking core is probably the best group on the defense. Luke Kuechley isn’t just the best MLB in the league he’s already 1 of the best MLBs I’ve ever seen play period. Thomas Davis is a freak at the weak OLB spot who has elite coverage and pursuit skills. And Shaq Thompson is the starter at the other OLB spot. After a fine rookie campaign he looks to have an even bigger impact in his sophomore season. I have no doubt the front 7 of the Panthers will be good but man it’s just hard to know what to expect of this team’s secondary at the moment.
