2013 NFL Draft Grades: Carolina Panthers
By Josh Hill
The 2013 NFL Draft has come and gone, and now it’s time for some reflection. While some teams traded around to get who they want, others stood pat to see who would slide to them — and if there’s one thing to remember about this draft it’s players that slid around the rounds. But now that the draft is behind us, the all important grading phase has begun, so lets take a look at how the Carolina Panthers did in this year’s NFL Draft.
Draft Picks
- (14) Star Lotulelei, dt, Utah
- (44) Kawann Short, dt, Purdue
- (108) Edmund Kugbila, g, Valdosta State
- (148) A.J. Klein, lb, Iowa State
- (182) Kenjon Barner, rb, Oregon
Best Pick: Star Lotulelei, DT/Utah
With defense being the most pressing need for the Panthers this offseason, they managed to get one of the best prospects on that side of the ball in Star Lotulelei. A heart condition caused him to fall, and the Panthers won big from that. The health issue seems to be cleared up which means the Panthers got a guy once in the running to the No. 1 overall pick.
Worst Pick: Kenjon Barner, RB/Oregon
The Panthers have both DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart who are under contract until 2016 and both running well. The Panthers needed a wide receiver but failed to take one thanks to spending that pick on Barner. He’s not a bad prospect, but he blocked the Panthers from drafting a true need.
Analysis: Carolina needed defense and they specifically needed help on the defensive line. They wasted no time in filling that need, double dipping on defensive tackles and taking two of the best prospects at the position in the draft. But the swing and miss on wide receivers is a massive oversight here and may end up biting the Panthers hard.
2013 Draft Grade: C+