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Carolina Panthers 2020 NFL Draft grades: Matt Rhule nailed his first draft class

By Josh Hill

AUBURN, AL - SEPTEMBER 8: Defensive lineman Derrick Brown #5 of the Auburn Tigers looks to tackle quarterback Dakota Rocker #13 of the Alabama State Hornets at Jordan-Hare Stadium on September 8, 2018 in Auburn, Alabama. (Photo by Michael Chang/Getty Images)
AUBURN, AL - SEPTEMBER 8: Defensive lineman Derrick Brown #5 of the Auburn Tigers looks to tackle quarterback Dakota Rocker #13 of the Alabama State Hornets at Jordan-Hare Stadium on September 8, 2018 in Auburn, Alabama. (Photo by Michael Chang/Getty Images) /
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LOUISVILLE, KY – SEPTEMBER 02: Troy Pride Jr. #5 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in action on defense during a game against the Louisville Cardinals at Cardinal Stadium on September 2, 2019 in Louisville, Kentucky. Notre Dame defeated Louisville 35-17. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
LOUISVILLE, KY – SEPTEMBER 02: Troy Pride Jr. #5 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in action on defense during a game against the Louisville Cardinals at Cardinal Stadium on September 2, 2019 in Louisville, Kentucky. Notre Dame defeated Louisville 35-17. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /

Scouting Report. Troy Pride Jr.. 113. player. 819. Pick Analysis. CB. Notre Dame

Troy Pride Jr., is what NFL executives dream of when talking about getting value where it shouldn’t otherwise exist.

He’s a first-round caliber player who fell to the fourth round over concerns about things that can easily be fixed. Pride missed tackles in isolation and is a little bit small for his position (NFL people love to overthink size) but none of that makes him a bad prospect. In fact, the Panthers got an absolute steal getting him on Day 3, as he joins a defensive rebuild that already looks like it’s going to turn out extremely well.

5th Round

S. Kenny Robinson. 152. player. 877. Scouting Report. Pick Analysis. West Virginia

Roster depth is never a bad thing in the NFL, and the Panthers look to have started checking those boxes off with this draft class. Robinson showed flashes at West Virginia and is another long defensive back to help lift one of the worst units in the league out of the gutter in 2020 and beyond.

6th Round

Scouting Report. Baylor. 184. Pick Analysis. DL. Bravvion Roy. player. 860

With Derrick Brown anchoring the defense next to Yetur Gross-Matos and Brian Burns, the Panthers went for depth on the line with Bravvion Roy. He’ll step into a familiar situation with his college head coach now becoming his pro head coach, which might take some anxious edge off his transition.

7th Round

Pick Analysis. 87. player. Scouting Report. CB. FIU. Stanley Thomas-Oliver III. 221

Why change course now?

The Panthers went all defense with the first draft of an offensive-minded head coach. How that all plays out, in the long run, is yet to be seen but right now the Panthers look to have all the right pieces in place to start building something special. An offensive-minded head coach leaning into defense could be a bad thing, but it could also mean that Rhule trusts who he has around him which already puts the Panthers in a better place than they were before his arrival.

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