Carolina taps shoulder of FS McDaniels; draft brother of starter

by Crimsion | 5 years ago | 2 Comments

Heading into any draft the pressure is always on the front office to make the right decisions in the blink of an eye, some have more room for error than others, but every draft is vital to a team's success.

This year was a bit different for Head Coach Jordan Charles and his head honchos as they felt they did not have a glaring need that needed to be addressed aggressively.

"For us this draft was all about gathering the best players and not focusing on a specific handful of positions," said Charles. "We certainly felt like the freedom allowed us to bring some game changers into this facility."

Here's how the Panthers draft broke down:

Round 1 - FS - DaQuan McDaniels - Auburn - 6'2" - 203 LBS

The first round was kind to the Panthers as they picked up a potential starter in DaQuan McDaniels out of Auburn. He doesn't possess break neck speed, but he is able to get up to his top speed quicker than most, he's also one to take very solid angles when attacking receivers or ball carriers. 

Round 2 - RE - Kevin Person - Tulane - 6'4" - 285 LBS

Person was a 1st round grade for a lot of the college football season, but some concerns about his skillset and his lack of finnesse off the line hurt his draft stock drastically. Carolina was able to take him in the back half of the second round, it's a shot in the dark, but if he can prove the doubters wrong this will be a solid move for the Panthers.

Round 3 - QB - Larry Haskins - Virgina Tech - 5'11" - 222 LBS

The brother of current starter Dwayne Haskins Jr., Larry Haskins propelled himself into becoming a 3rd round selection with his imporvement in his pocket presence and legs late in the NCAA season. While he doesn't possess the strong arm that his 26-year old brother does, he makes up for in speed surely. It'll be tough for baby Haskins to crack the roster if the Panthers don't carry three Quarterbacks, but he certainly can make a case for himself this pre-season. 

Round 4 - HB - Kai Spriggs - Rhode Island - 5'10" - 227 LBS

The product out of Rhode Island had to make a name for himself in such a small collegiate market, however he was able to impress some scouts, while others had him going undrafted. What was on tape was enough for the Panthers, who ran into some Runningback depth problems during the post season last year. They hope Spriggs can add to a what could shape up to be a solid RB room.

Round 5 - FB - Joel Dotson - Arkansas State - 6'2" - 252 LBS

Fullback has been becoming a more glamour-like position as the years have gone by and if you don't believe that, this year's draft will certainly change your mind. Dotson became the second Fullback drafted within the first 5 rounds when Carolina took him. He has solid run blocking attributes, but the team could still bring in a veteran to conduct a very rare Fullback camp-based battle.

Round 6 - LOLB - Raheem Miles - Penn - 6'3" - 241 LBS

Miles was once regarded as a pretty solid systematic player, but following some injuries he's already shown signs of slowing down. Wether it's lack of motivation or it is his body giving up on him, the Panthers believe Miles deservces a shot to prove himself once more.

Round 7 - DT - Stefon Lee - Florida - 6'4" - 305 LBS

Lee will simply end up as a practice player for starters, but his raw power may be just enough to get his development started off on the right foot, he'll just need to work on his foot & hand work among a few other things.