2012 NFL Mock Draft: Carolina Panthers Have Bright Future but Holes to Fill
It's amazing what a difference just one year can make for an NFL franchise.
Around this time last season, the Carolina Panthers were coming off a 2-14 season and few had a clue about who the Panthers would take with the first overall pick in the NFL draft.
Cam Newton was being talked about some at No. 1, but he had company from Blaine Gabbert, Marcell Dareus, Patrick Peterson and A.J. Green. Some loved Newton, some hated him. There were some that drooled over his potential while others wrote scathing reports about his character.
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Now, almost a year later, there's no more discussion. The Panthers unquestionably hit a 500-foot grand slam by taking Newton No. 1 overall. After 35 total touchdowns and nearly 5,000 combined yards passing and rushing, Newton now gives the Panthers a brighter future moving forward than they ever could have imagined.
To ensure that the Panthers keep moving forward on that path with Newton, Carolina needs to supplement a good draft last season with another one this April. There are still plenty of holes to fill on this roster.
Let's take a quick look at some of the holes, in no specific order:
1. Defensive line
The Panthers were gashed in the run game this season because they lacked players along the defensive line. While Carolina used picks last April to help the unit, they need to dip back into that well in 2012 to grab a difference maker. Defensive tackle is probably the biggest need, but don't discount the possibility of grabbing an elite pass rusher at defensive end.
2. Secondary
The 24th ranked passing defense in 2011 needs a playmaker and added depth in the secondary. Charles Godfrey and Sherrod Martin are questionable options at safety and you can never have enough cover corners in a conference that features Drew Brees, Matt Ryan, Aaron Rodgers and Matthew Stafford.
3. Receiver
The Panthers offense was dangerous in the passing game despite having only one receiver that really scared opposing defensive coordinators. If they could add a more physical option to complement Pro Bowl receiver Steve Smith, the Panthers offense could take a big jump in 2012 to an elite level.
1. Indianapolis Colts—Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford
2. St. Louis Rams—Justin Blackmon, WR, Oklahoma State
3. Minnesota Vikings—Matt Kalil, OT, USC
4. Cleveland Browns—Robert Griffin III, QB, Baylor
5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers—Morris Claiborne, CB, LSU
6. Washington Redskins—Jonathan Martin, OT, Stanford
7. Jacksonville Jaguars—Alshon Jeffery, WR, South Carolina
8. Carolina Panthers—Quinton Coples, DE, North Carolina
There are worries about Coples after a lackluster senior season at UNC, but he dominated at the Senior Bowl and should be the top 4-3 defensive end available. Coples also has the versatility to play inside and is quick enough to make noise from that position. He's a little like the Giants' Justin Tuck in the way he can be disruptive from both spots.
If that profile doesn't fit what the Panthers need perfectly, I don't know what does. A receiver might be tempting here, but Coples is what the Panthers need early in this draft.
9. Miami Dolphins—Riley Reiff, OT, Iowa
10. Buffalo Bills—Courtney Upshaw, OLB, Alabama
11. Kansas City Chiefs—Trent Richardson, RB, Alabama
12. Seattle Seahawks—Michael Brockers, DT, LSU
13. Arizona Cardinals—Melvin Ingram, DE/OLB, South Carolina
14. Dallas Cowboys—Dre Kirkpatrick, CB, Alabama
15. Philadelphia Eagles—Luke Kuechly, LB, Boston College
16. New York Jets—Nick Perry, LB, USC
17. Cincinnati Bengals—Janoris Jenkins, CB, North Alabama
18. San Diego Chargers—David DeCastro, OG, Stanford
19. Chicago Bears—Michael Floyd, WR, Notre Dame
20. Tennessee Titans—Zach Brown, OLB, UNC
21. Cincinnati Bengals—Lamar Miller, RB, Miami
22. Cleveland Browns—Kendall Wright, WR, Baylor
23. Detroit Lions—Alfonzo Dennard, CB, Nebraska
24. Pittsburgh Steelers—Cordy Glenn, OL, Georgia
25. Denver Broncos—Devon Still, DL, Penn State
26. Houston Texans—Dontari Poe, NT, Memphis
27. New England Patriots—Peter Konz, C, Wisconsin
28. Green Bay Packers—Whitney Mercilus, DE/OLB, Illinois
29. Baltimore Ravens—Vontaze Burfict, LB, Arizona State
30. San Francisco 49ers—Mohamed Sanu, WR, Rutgers
31. New York Giants—Dont'a Hightower, LB, Alabama
32. New England Patriots—Mark Barron, S, Alabama
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