2011 NFL Draft: What Should the Carolina Panthers Do with the First Pick?

The Panthers finished 2-14 last year. Their 196 points scored ranked lowest in the league by a mile. They scored 75 fewer points than an inept Cleveland Browns offense.

That’s nearly five fewer points per game than the league’s second worst scoring offense.

Their 143.1 passing yards per game was nearly 40 fewer than an Arizona team that is desperate for a quarterback change.

Clearly the Panthers need better play out of their quarterback. The question is will it be Cam Newton, Blaine Gabbert or Jimmy Clausen?

So how bad was Jimmy last year? He completed 52.5 percent of his passes with three touchdowns and nine interceptions. He had a 58.4 passer rating. In his defense, he had just one legitimate target (Steve Smith) in the passing game and he actually had fewer fantasy points in non-PPR leagues than David Gettis.

Smith will turn at age 32 in May and is on the downside of his career. An intriguing option would be to select Georgia WR A.J. Green with the No. 1 pick. He is the best receiver prospect since Calvin Johnson, and the Panthers could take a quarterback in the third round to compete with Clausen.

The Panthers struggled on the defensive side of the football as well.

They ranked 26th with 25.5 points allowed per game. Carolina allowed the 10th-most rushing yards per game (123.8).

Alabama defensive tackle Marcell Dareus won’t help you score points on offense, but he would certainly beef up their defense. If he commanded double-teams, it would open things up for everybody else. The Panthers could also consider Patrick Peterson, but cornerbacks traditionally have not gone that high in the draft.

Without a second-round pick, it seems unlikely that the Panthers go in any direction other than quarterback. It will most likely come down to a decision between Blaine Gabbert and Cam Newton.

Sorry, Jimmy.

Gabbert is a safer choice while Newton has more upside. Not only does Newton have incredible athleticism, he has the ability to put butts in the seats and increase merchandise sales. If the lockout continues, that revenue stream would be desirable.

If I were pulling the trigger on the Panthers’ first pick, I would go with A.J. Green. I’d bring back Matt Moore once the lockout is over and have an open competition at quarterback. If you struggle again this year, perhaps you land Andrew Luck next year.

What would you do if you were calling the shots for the Panthers?



Click here to see my latest first round 2011 NFL Mock Draft.