Carolina Panthers Draft Review

1st Round, Pick #1: Cam Newton (QB Auburn)

Everyone who has been following the site knows that I think Cam Newton is going to be a colossal bust, and I believe Ron Rivera and Marty Hurney have just signed their Pink Slips. As I have stated before, aside from having a strong arm, there is nothing that Cam Newton did in college that will work for him at the next level. In college, if Newton's first receiver was not open, he would just take off running, which he will no longer successfully be able to do. Also, since Auburn ran the ball so well, he rarely ever saw any Safeties in coverage, and most defenses just put 9 guys in the box. So when Cam was completing a pass, it was to a wide open receiver, or a single covered receiver. Cam Newton is just so far away from being able to play in the NFL, and I don't see him ever getting there.

Grade- F

3rd Round, Pick #65: Terrell McClain (DT South Florida)

Don't really like this pick at all either for Carolina as there were definitely much better players on the board at this point. I think Terrell McClain is very overrated. He really only started to move up boards recently when he started to show in drills that he moves really well for a 6-2 300 pound guy. Other than having the size, and athleticism combo, McClain has nothing going for him. He was unproductive in college, and really did not make any impact whatsoever at any point in his college career. Like I said, teams like him because he has good size and moves pretty well, but he is very raw, and unproven. With all the holes Carolina has, and all the guys left on the board, this was another bad pick.

Grade- D-

3rd Round, Pick #97: Sione Fua (DT Stanford)

This pick was actually a pretty solid value. Sione Fua is not flashy, and will never be a dominant player in the league, but he is very consistent and reliable. Fua will start at nose tackle in Carolina's 4-3 right away, and I think he will be able to start there for a long time. He is a bit undersized, but he fits very well in Carolina's scheme, and I think he will have a long and healthy career in the league. Good pick here by Carolina.

Grade- B+

4th Round, Pick #98: Brandon Hogan (CB West Virginia)

This really is a boom-or-bust pick. Brandon Hogan is a 2nd round talent, but considering his character concerns, I would be very reluctant to take this guy. He has been arrested and charged numerous times due to Marijuana and Alcohol related incidents. And just doesn't seem to get it, or take anything very seriously. There are no questions about his talent, but I think there is a very good chance he continues to get in trouble, and I personally would not have taken him this early.

Grade- D

5th Round, Pick #132: Kealoha Pilares (WR Hawaii)

Carolina has such a terrible roster that they cannot afford to reach for players while they try to rebuild. Kealoha Pilares is a slow, and un-athletic receiver who was productive in Hawaii's gimmick offense (Stop me if you've heard this one before). He is not a bad player, but considering all the players that were on the board at this point, it doesn't make any sense to reach for a guy like this in the 5th round, when guys of his caliber can easily be picked up after the draft.

Grade- F

6th Round, Pick #166: Lawrence Wilson (OLB Connecticut)

I love this pick by Carolina! I view Lawrence Wilson as one of the most underrated players in this entire draft class. He is very athletic, and produced at an extremely high level in college. He has had 100+ Tackles in 3 seasons, and has led the Big-East in tackles the past 2 seasons. He is a bit undersized, which is why he was available so late, but he will be an excellent weakside linebacker in Carolina's 4-3 scheme. As much as I hate some of Carolina's picks in this draft, I give them an A+ here for stealing Lawrence Wilson.

Grade- A+

6th Round, Pick #203: Zach Williams (Washington State)

Once again, as has become the theme of Carolina's draft class, when you are rebuilding and have very little on your roster, you take the best available player, you don't reach for need, which is what Carolina did once again here. Zach Williams is a very average prospect, who for some reason the Panthers fell in love with and took him much higher than he should have went. There were so many better players left on the board, and to take a guy who will just be a backup makes no sense.

Grade- F

7th Round, Pick #144: Lee Ziemba (OT Auburn)

Mixed in with some of the terrible picks Carolina made in this draft, they have a few really nice picks, like this steal of Lee Ziemba in the 7th. I really don't know why Ziemba fell so far, he was a career starter at Left Tackle for Auburn, and was a huge reason why Auburn was able to dominate on the ground like they did last year. I think Ziemba will be a very reliable starter at right tackle for a long time, and Carolina definitely got a steal here in the last round of the draft.

Check out our exclusive interview with Lee Ziemba as well

Grade- A+