Panthers general manager Scott Fitterer went into the 2021 NFL draft with a clear plan. Trade down for more picks, target positions of need and fill them with the best athletes available. We can question some of the individual decisions (especially passing on a QB at the top), but overall fans should be pleased with the results.
Most of all, the instinct to select high-quality athletes should pay off for this franchise in the long run. Let’s take a look at the Relative Athletic Scores for each Panthers draft pick this year.
Forget Justin Fields for a minute and just enjoy Horn’s remarkable profile. Horn posted excellent scores across the board, including size, speed and explosiveness. That will help a lot as he has to cover superstar receivers like Julio Jones and Chris Godwin around the NFC South.
Marshall also has great RAS numbers, especially a 39-inch vertical. The Panthers haven’t had those kind of hops in a package this size in a long time.
Perhaps the most critical pick of the draft class, Carolina traded up a few spots in the third round to get Christensen. While there are some concerns about his size – especially his arm length – he’s a top-notch athlete for his position, including elite speed, agility and strength.
Tremble also fits the mold for having poor size but a good overall profile.
Hubbard’s agility scores aren’t what you’d expect for a running back. However, they don’t seem to slow him down when it comes to adding yards after contact and everything else lines up.
Nixon is another quality athlete for his position. His leaping ability and shuttle time aren’t likely to matter a whole lot.
There’s a big dropoff from Nixon to the rest of the draft class, but that’s mostly to be expected in the later rounds of the draft. On paper, Taylor isn’t fast or agile, but he is very tall at least.
Brown’s RAS scores might look concerning, but Godzilla doesn’t crush your city with his athleticism, after all. It’s all about size and sheer destructive power – the same selling points for Brown. He will still be able to knock defenders off the line of scrimmage and open up lanes for Hubbard and Christian McCaffrey while keeping Sam Darnold clean from interior rushers. Ultimately, that’s what’s important.
Smith is a bit undersized for the NFL, but his quickness and explosiveness are important qualities to have for a slot receiver.
Sure, why not?
Hoskins has an interesting blend of traits, here. For a seventh-round DT pick it’s hard to complain about a lack of agility.
Overall, this is an extremely athletic draft class, with the one notable exception. Hats off to Fitterer, head coach Matt Rhule and the rest of the scouting department for their work.
[lawrence-related id=636337]
[vertical-gallery id=636321]