Why the Panthers Should NOT Pick a WR First in the NFL Draft

Should the Carolina Panthers choose a wide receiver for their first-round pick?

The moment the Super Bowl ended (and in the case of the Carolina Panthers, probably long before), fanbases around the country took to message boards, Twitter and just about every social media outlet available to begin the most entertaining guessing game known to man.

"Who will my team take in the first round?"

For the second consecutive offseason, it has been surprising how many members of the Carolina faithful have been campaigning for a wide receiver with their first-round pick.

Fans naturally think their team can shore up weak spots on the roster through the NFL draft. With that in mind, let’s take a look at areas of need for the Panthers.

Defensive Tackle

The departure of veteran Ron Edwards leaves much to be desired in the defensive tackle position.

While Carolina’s biggest move in free agency was arguably re-signing Dwan Edwards (who had six sacks last year), there is still a need for more on the interior of the defensive front.

Sione Fua, a 2011 third-round pick, is a nice rotational player to have on the line, but if he’s slotted to be the starter, the Panthers could be in some trouble.

The glaring need for a playmaker next to Dwan, coupled with the fact that the team has not drafted a DT in the first two rounds since 2001, has led many to believe the Panthers should consider players like Sheldon Richardson, Sylvester Williams and Star Lotulelei.

Offensive Line

The Panthers offensive line was in trouble once center Ryan Kalil was lost for the season with a foot injury in 2012.

While backup Jeff Byers and guard Geoff Hangartner filled in admirably, the fact remains that Cam Newton was sacked 36 times and Carolina running backs averaged 3.9 YPC.

The return of Kalil instantly makes the line better. The left side actually continues to look solid, with veteran Jordan Gross anchoring the left tackle position and second-year player Amini Silatolu looking to build upon a decent rookie campaign.

The team could definitely stand to upgrade at right guard and right tackle. Byron Bell has shown flashes at RT, but speedier NFL defensive ends exploited his lack of quickness last season. Bell is probably better suited to a guard position.

The ongoing protection issues and lack of a power running game have led many to speculate that the Panthers’ 14th pick could go toward top-caliber prospects like Lane Johnson, Chance Warmack and D.J. Fluker.

Safety

After Chris Gamble was released from the team and consequently retired in the offseason, many draft aficionados pegged the Panthers’ first-round pick on one of the draft’s top cornerbacks.

While a proven cover corner would be nice, there’s little need for it considering the Panthers allowed the 13th-fewest passing YPG in the entire league, far and away the best mark in the division. That was largely without the services of Gamble, who only appeared in four games due to a nagging shoulder injury.

Coupled with the fact that new general manager Dave Gettleman has spent the majority of his allocated free-agency budget on acquiring CBs in the offseason, the logical assumption is that the team won’t be investing an early-round pick on this position.

Safety, however, is a different story.

One look at the video above and you can see why the Panthers brass has done their fair share of homework on this year’s safety prospects.

The lack of a proven safety to start alongside Charles Godfrey has led many to believe the team will be taking one of the highly regarded safeties in this draft, such as Kenny Vaccaro, Jonathan Cyprien or Matt Elam.

No Wide Receiver?

Quickly reviewing the Panthers roster, you can clearly see that wide receiver is far from the team’s most pressing need.

While many fans and media pundits alike cite the need for an heir to the aging Steve Smith as justification for a wide receiver in the first round, I’m just not convinced that type of player exists in this draft.

Each “top-tier” WR prospect comes with their share of red flags and have given little indication they can be primary receivers in the NFL.

True, every draft prospect comes with red flags, but I’m of the belief that the team can stand to improve in other areas and get immediate starters over taking a shot on a player that likely would not even beat out Brandon LaFell in 2013, much less be groomed into a Smitty replacement.

Beyond that, thanks to a Jordan Gross contract restructure, the team may be better served finding an heir apparent for Gross to ensure Cam Newton has blindside protection.

Investing the team’s most valuable draft pick on an offensive skill position when the team has finished in the top 12 on offense the past two seasons does not seem to make the most sense.

So who do you think the Panthers should take with the 14th overall pick?