The Panthers won a football game, which is pretty much a disaster of epic proportions according to some fans. While the victory over Washington improved their record to 5-10, it also dropped them several spots in next year’s draft. Last week they were slotted to pick at No. 4. Today they’re No. 9.
Here’s the updated 2021 NFL draft order from Tankathon with one week to go in the regular season.
1. Jacksonville Jaguars (1-14)
2. New York Jets (2-13)
3. Miami Dolphins (via 4-11 Houston Texans)
4. Atlanta Falcons (4-11)
5. Cincinnati Bengals (4-10-1)
6. Philadelphia Eagles (4-10-1)
7. Detroit Lions (5-10)
8. New York Giants (5-10)
9. Carolina Panthers (5-10)
10. Denver Broncos (5-10)
11. Dallas Cowboys (6-9)
12. Los Angeles Chargers (6-9)
13. Minnesota Vikings (6-9)
14. New England Patriots (6-9)
15. San Francisco 49ers (6-9)
16. Las Vegas Raiders (7-8)
17. Arizona Cardinals (8-7)
18. Indianapolis Colts (10-5)
— Playoff teams —
19. Washington Football Team (6-9)
20. Chicago Bears (8-7)
21. Jacksonville Jaguars (via 9-6 LA Rams)
22. Cleveland Browns (10-5)
23. Miami Dolphins (10-5)
24. Baltimore Ravens (10-5)
25. Tennessee Titans (10-5)
26. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (10-5)
27. New York Jets (via 11-4 Seattle Seahawks)
28. Pittsburgh Steelers (12-3)
29. New Orleans Saints (11-4)
30. Buffalo Bills (12-3)
31. Green Bay Packers (12-3)
32. Kansas City Chiefs (14-1)
We don’t need to rehash the whole tanking argument again. The Jets have won two games in a row for the same reason that Matt Rhule is right to be happy about his team’s fifth victory this season. Winning games is what they are paid to do. Period.
That said, fans who are eager for the team to pick a new potential franchise QB might have mixed feelings about Sunday’s win. Starter Teddy Bridgewater performed no better in Landover than he has the last several weeks and in some ways (especially taking sacks and ball security) is getting worse every game. Hopefully he can rebound and finish the year strong against the Saints. However, it’s become clear that this team’s ceiling will remain relatively low if Bridgewater is going to be their QB1.
On the bright side, this defense is starting to round into shape much faster than we’d anticipated. If the Panthers can add another playmaker or two to the back seven in the draft, that unit could be a problem as soon as 2021. Patience is the key, here. This rebuild was always going to take more than a single offseason. Quarterback is obviously a need but there are a lot of ways to improve this roster, especially with a top-10 pick.
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