Former Panthers general manager Dave Gettleman made some mistakes during his time running the team. It wasn’t all bad, though. Today, the team is benefitting from three special players Gettleman acquired in his last draft in Carolina (2017). After taking running back Christian McCaffrey with the No. 8 overall pick, he selected wide receiver Curtis Samuel (No. 40 overall) and right tackle Taylor Moton (No. 64 overall).
All three have more than lived up to expectations. When healthy, McCaffrey is the best running back in football and a case could be made that Samuel and Moton are the most underrated players at their respective positions in the NFL. While Moton has taken to locking down everybody from Joey Bosa to Cameron Jordan, Samuel has become Carolina’s most clutch receiver.
Through nine games, Samuel has a 91% catch rate, which is easily the highest among wide receivers.
Highest catch rate among WRs:
1. Curtis Samuel – 91%
2. Cole Beasley – 85%
T-3. Chris Godwin – 82%
T-3. DeAndre Hopkins – 82% pic.twitter.com/2CHqCge2VK— PFF (@PFF) November 11, 2020
Samuel has been particularly effective on third down. He has 12 catches so far. Only Davante Adams and Keenan Allen have more (15).
He’s also been crucial to turning around the team’s fortunes in the red zone. Scoring inside the 20 was a huge problem the first month of the season, but the Panthers have steadily improved as offensive coordinator Joe Brady has embraced creative run calls and using Samuel more in general. After starting out near the bottom of the league, they have improved to No. 19 in red zone scoring (60%).
This past week against the Chiefs, Samuel led the team with four red zone touches. He also posted a career high 105 receiving yards. He may just be scratching the surface, too. Remember, this is the first time Samuel’s had the holy trinity of a healthy quarterback, a dynamic playcaller and opportunity.
They may be products of a previous regime, but it would be stupid not to extend both Samuel and Moton.
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