Tag: Carolina Panthers

Georgia great Charles Johnson recalls incredible story from day he was drafted into the NFL

Georgia football and Carolina Panthers great Charles Johnson recalled the remarkable story of the day he was drafted into the NFL.

Georgia great Charles Johnson was a punishing defensive end for the Carolina Panthers for 11 seasons. From 2007 to 2017, Johnson racked up 67.5 sacks, which ranks second all-time in Panthers history.

Before that, he was a Georgia Bulldog, and remains one to this day, still often seen sporting the red & black.

At Georgia, Johnson burst onto the scene his junior season after a solid sophomore year. During his third year, though, he was an absolute star, recording 9.5 sacks and 19 tackles for a loss. He also added 4 career forced fumbles and 1 touchdown in 2005.

When his career at Georgia came to an end, Johnson began preparing himself for the next level. When draft day finally arrived, Johnson threw a party at Hawksinville High School, his alma mater in the small Georgia town.

Via an Instagram post on Thursday, Johnson recalled the crazy story of how his NFL career began on draft day.

View this post on Instagram

True story…… on my draft day I had a party plan at my high school. I watch the first round go bye at my high school with news crews, family and everybody who came. Start of the second round I was sitting alone looking at my phone and a unknown man came and sat beside me. It was my dad who had nothing to do with me as a kid or was never in my life. ( real Ricky Bobby ish 😂 ) I left the party at the high school and watch the rest of the second round at home. We had 20 cases of Don P and 20 case of Ace of spade and we was on the verge of leaving and going to the club. 🤦🏿‍♂️ I turnt my phone off near the end of second round because I figure I wouldn’t get drafted after that. Literally walking out the, door tv is on, and I had one foot out the door, my best friend for life stop me @kidfromwrens and said let’s watch this pick before we leave. Boom 💥 my name pops across the screen! And so my career being!!!! Crazy ain’t it! So for every South Georgia small town kid who get drafted I salute you. Live it up, stay consistent, never forget where you came from and what motivated you to get to this point today 💙🖤💙🖤

A post shared by Charles Johnson 🖤❤️ (@cjgeorgia99) on

He remembers the first round of the 2007 NFL Draft coming and going without his name being called. He recalls the news crews, family and friends being there at his high school. But he also recalls his father, who Johnson wrote ‘had nothing to do with me as a kid.’ In his Instgram post, Johnson said that his father came and sat next to him. He was an “unknown man,” Johnson described.

If you remember, the draft used to be a two day affair. Rounds 1-3 were held on Saturday and 4-7 on Sunday.

Johnson wrote that he left his high school draft party sometime in the second round to watch the rest of it at home. His name still had not been called, so Johnson decided to turn his phone off.

“I turned my phone off near the end of the second round because I figured I wouldn’t get drafted after that,” he wrote.

Johnson, growing discouraged, was ready to leave to go to the club. With one foot out the door, his childhood friend said they should wait and watch one more pick.

It turned out to be a great decision. Charles Johnson’s name appeared on the screen. He had been selected with the 83rd overall pick by the Panthers.

“So for every south Georgia small town kid who gets drafted I salute you. Live it up, stay consistent, never forget where you came from and what motivated you to get to this point today.”

Oh, and the scoreboard at Hawkinsville’s football stadium, where Johnson’s career began, now reads “Home of Charles Johnson.”

Watch: Panthers coach Matt Rhule talks about going into his first NFL draft

Watch Rhule talk about the 2020 draft class with new team reporter Kristen Balboni.

Panthers coach Matt Rhule is entering his very first NFL draft.

While general manager Marty Hurney is still calling the shots, his contract is up after this draft. Meanwhile, Rhule will be under contract for the next seven years. Given those circumstances, it’s unthinkable that Rhule won’t have a significant say in who the team picks this year.

Watch Rhule talk about the 2020 draft class with new team reporter Kristen Balboni.

This is mostly a lot of vague coachspeak – a language Rhule is fluent in. We don’t know how he will coach at this level but it’s clear he’s sharp enough not to give away anything meaningful in an interview on a day like this. Another thing we know is that Rhule loves players who previously worked with him. The team has already signed five former Temple players.

As it happens, this draft class features a number of prospects who have connections with either Rhule or offensive coordinator Joe Brady. From Baylor, the top names to watch for are wide receiver Denzel Mims and defensive lineman James Lynch.

As for Brady, LSU has a bunch of pro-ready prospects in 2020.

On offense, wide receiver Justin Jefferson, running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire and interior offensive linemen Damien Lewis and Lloyd Cushenberry all make sense for Carolina to target at different points of the draft. Defensively, there’s several studs worth considering. Cornerback Kristian Fulton, defensive end K’Lavon Chaisson and defensive tackle Rashard Lawrence could all fill big needs.

There’s just six hours to go.

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2020 NFL draft: First round order, list of Panthers picks

Here’s a look at the final order for the first round of picks.

The 2020 NFL draft will kick off in a few hours. Let’s take a moment and review where each team stands going into the first round.

Here’s a look at the final order for the first round of picks.

1. Cincinnati Bengals

2. Washington Redskins

3. Detroit Lions

4. New York Giants

5. Miami Dolphins

6. Los Angeles Chargers

7. Carolina Panthers

8. Arizona Cardinals

9. Jacksonville Jaguars

10. Cleveland Browns

11. New York Jets

12. Las Vegas Raiders

13. San Francisco 49ers

14. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

15. Denver Broncos

16. Atlanta Falcons

17. Dallas Cowboys

18. Miami Dolphins

19. Las Vegas Raiders

20. Jacksonville Jaguars

21. Philadelphia Eagles

22. Minnesota Vikings

23. New England Patriots

24. New Orleans Saints

25. Minnesota Vikings

26. Miami Dolphins

27. Seattle Seahawks

28. Baltimore Ravens

29. Tennessee Titans

30. Green Bay Packers

31. San Francisco 49ers

32. Kansas City Chiefs

And here is the full list of picks for Carolina this year.

Round one: pick no. 7

Round two: pick No. 38

Round three: pick No. 69

Round four: pick No. 113

Roudn five: pick No. 148

Round five: pick No. 152

Round six: pick No. 184

Round seven: pick No. 221

If history is any indication, Carolina should be on the clock around 8:45 p.m. ET this evening. However, the latest reporting suggests the Panthers are willing, even eager to trade down from the No. 7 spot. Teams who are looking to land one of this year’s top four offensive tackle prospects are the most likely candidates to move up.

In the event they trade down, we’re betting they target a wide receiver or a cornerback prospect in the teens.

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Reviewing the Panthers’ position needs going into 2020 NFL draft

Here is an in-depth review of the Panthers’ position needs heading into this draft.

The Carolina Panthers might be the worst team in the NFC going into the 2020 NFL draft. Remember, Cam Newton is now gone, as is Luke Kuechly, James Bradberry, Mario Addison, Greg Olsen and a handful of other important players. Whether you call it rebuilding or retooling, this team needs all the help it can get.

The front office’s strategy this offseason appears to have been to address their offensive needs in free agency and save defense for the draft.

So far, they’ve signed two quarterbacks in Teddy Bridgewater and P.J. Walker, plus half a dozen wide receivers, highlighted by deep threat Robby Anderson. Carolina also traded Pro Bowl right guard Trai Turner for Russell Okung and replaced him with John Miller. They have also signed a couple of depth pieces at tight end (Seth DeValve, Colin Thompson).

Defensively, there’s been much less activity. Nose tackle Zach Kerr, defensive end Stephen Weatherly and strong safety Juston Burris are the big names that have signed on that side of the ball this year.

Do the math and fans should expect a defense-heavy draft class this year. We’re expecting the team to trade down and pick a wide receiver early, but the rest of the class might well be all defense.

Here is an in-depth review of the Panthers’ position needs heading into this draft.

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Final prediction for the Panthers in the first round of the 2020 NFL draft

Carolina is going in armed with eight draft picks this year, beginning with the No. 7 overall selection in the first round.

The 2020 NFL draft will begin in less than 12 hours from now. It’s the busiest time of the year for us here at Panthers Wire and we can’t wait to get started getting to know the new draft class that will help lead the team into the Matt Rhule era.

Carolina is going in armed with eight draft picks this year, beginning with the No. 7 overall selection in the first round.

The last time the Panthers had a top-10 pick, they chose Stanford running back Christian McCaffrey, and it’s worked out pretty well so far. McCaffrey is easily the best player at his position in the league and right or wrong he will serve as the foundation of the team’s offense for the next several years.

Who will the team select this time around?

Our final prediction for the first round of the draft – which is almost 100% certain to be wrong – is the team will trade down from No. 7 in order to begin stockpiling more capital. Then, they will take the best wide receiver on their board.

Assuming that all of the blue-chip defensive prospects are no longer available by that time (Jeff Okudah, Isaiah Simmons, Chase Young) then trading down is the right move. In fact, it has always been the smartest strategy for Carolina in this draft class. The team has far too many holes to fill to stand pat eight eight picks and expect to field a competitive roster in 2020. Also, the latest reporting suggests the team is open to moving down a few spots. If they can find a buyer, expect the Panthers to drop into the teens.

Once they’re there, we expect them to take an explosive receiver who can add to an already-potent group that includes D.J. Moore, Curtis Samuel and Robby Anderson. To be clear, wide receiver isn’t a need, but first-round picks shouldn’t be about filling needs in the first place.

In an interview with reporters earlier this month, coach Rhule said sometimes you need to stick with your fastball when he was talking about choices in the draft. Right now, the team’s fastball is that wide receiver corps, which could become the most talented in the league if they add one of the top 2020 prospects.

It’s going to take time to rebuild the defense. The best way for the Panthers to compete the next couple of years is to let Joe Brady’s receivers spread out and run wild, overwhelming teams with speed and vertical threats.

So, who will it be?

Oklahomas CeeDee Lamb is the best receiver in this draft class according to most analysts. His blend of size, explosiveness and college production make him an easy choice to radically improve any receiver room in the NFL. Alabama’s Jerry Jeudy is sometimes ranked ahead of him – at worst he’s a close second. Remember, the Panthers met with Jeudy at the combine, which is a tip that they’re considering taking a receiver early.

If Lamb and Jeudy are no longer on the board, two prospects to keep an eye on are LSU’s Justin Jefferson and Baylor’s Denzel Mims, who have connections with Brady and Rhule, respectively. Jefferson could stand to play with more physicality and Mims’ drops are a concern, but both have plenty of potential to make an impact at the next level.

If the team goes in a different direction, the safest best will be to assume they are taking a cornerback. Okudah will be long gone by the time any team in the teens is on the clock, so the Panthers would have to target some second-tier names.

Florida’s CJ Henderson is the most popular prospect connected to the team right now. His tackling is less than ideal and the numbers he allowed in 2019 are a yellow flag. However, Henderson has tremendous upside and can become something special. LSU’s Kristian Fulton is another quality corner prospect who makes sense given Marty Hurney’s affinity for that school’s DBs. Alabama’s Trevon Diggs and Clemson’s A.J. Terrell are also worth considering in the middle of the first round.

We’ll see how it all plays out. Stay tuned for updates and analysis on each pick as they come in over the next three days.

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Panthers reveal jersey numbers for 2020 free agency additions

Panthers reveal jersey numbers for 2020 free agency additions

The Panthers have announced the jersey numbers for some of their recent additions in free agency. Here are the new numbers, per the team website.

QB Teddy Bridgewater: No. 5

QB P.J. Walker: No. 6

RB Marcus Murphy: No. 34

WR Robby Anderson: No. 11

WR Ishmael Hyman: No. 13

WR Pharoh Cooper: No. 14

WR Seth Roberts: No. 15

WR Keith Kirkwood: No. 19

TE Seth DeValve: No. 87

OT Russell Okung: No. 76

G John Miller: No. 67

LB Tahir Whitehead: No. 52

S Juston Burris: No. 31

DE Stephen Weatherly: No. 91

LB Chris Smith: No. 50

DT Zach Kerr: No. 92

Also, the following players switched numbers:

OLB Christian Miller: No. 50 – No. 55

S T.J. Green: No. 36 – No. 24

P Michael Palardy: No. 5 – No. 2

QB Will Grier: No. 3 – No. 7

WR Brandon Zylstra: No. 11 – No. 16

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2020 NFL draft info: Time, TV schedule, Panthers mock drafts, prospect profiles

The 2020 NFL draft has finally arrived!

The 2020 NFL draft has finally arrived!

Here is all the info you need on how to watch it and follow live, in addition to our 2020 mock drafts and prospect profiles.

When:

The draft begins tomorrow evening. Here’s a look at the full schedule for each day of the draft.

Round 1: Thursday, 8:00 p.m. ET

Rounds 2-3: Friday, 7:00 p.m. ET

Rounds 4-7: Saturday, 12:00 p.m. ET

Where:

The draft was supposed to take place in Las Vegas, the new home of the Raiders. Social distancing measures have forced teams to run this draft virtually, with each team setting up shop in basements and home offices of their executives. The NFL will allow a pause in the event of IT difficulties.

TV:

ABC will broadcast the draft with more of a college focus. ESPN and NFL Network will run the same presentation across both networks.

Mock drafts:

We hit a new high for mocks this year. Here are links for each of them:

Panthers Wire dueling mock drafts: Anthony Rizzuti vs. Erik Williams

The home stretch edition: (Mekhi Becton at No. 7 overall)

The post-combine, trading down edition

The all-defense edition

The Senior Bowl edition

The trading up to No. 3 overall for Tua edition

2020 mock draft 2.0: Local prospects

New Year’s Edition: Derrick Brown at No. 7

2020 prospect profiles:

We also write about some of this year’s top prospects individually.

Michigan iOL Cesar Ruiz

Florida CB CJ Henderson

Alabama WR Henry Ruggs III

Oklahoma LB Kenneth Murray

Alabama DB Xavier McKinney

LSU DE K’Lavon Chaisson

Iowa DE A.J. Epenesa

Alabama WR Jerry Jeudy

Louisville OT Mekhi Becton

Georgia OT Andrew Thomas

Oklahoma WR CeeDee Lamb

Iowa OT Tristan Wirfs

Alabama QB Tua Tagovailoa

Alabama OT Jedrick Wills

South Carolina DT Javon Kinlaw

Oregon QB Justin Herbert

Auburn DT Derrick Brown

Ohio State CB Jeff Okudah

Clemson LB Isaiah Simmons

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NFL free agency: Panthers sign former Bears, Giants tight end

Thompson is another addition who has previous experience with Matt Rhule.

The Panthers have signed former Bears and Giants tight end Colin Thompson, per his Twitter account. Thompson is another addition who has previous experience with Matt Rhule. He played his college career at Temple from 2014-2016. Primarily a blocker, Thompson caught 19 passes during his time there, totaling 208 yards and one touchdown.

Thompson went undrafted in 2017 and was first signed by the Giants in May. He was cut in August and then signed by the Bears to their practice squad in November. He was on and off Chicago’s practice squad until September 2018 when he was cut. He was not on a team last season.

This year, Thompson played in the XFL for the Vipers.

Signing Thompson makes it less likely the team will pick a tight end in the draft. If he makes the roster, he should round out the depth chart behind Ian Thomas, Chris Manhertz, Seth DeValve and Temarrick Hemingway.

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Report: Panthers ‘open to sliding back a few spots’ in first round

According to a report by Ian Rapoport at NFL Network, the team is open to sliding back a few spots in the first round. 

For several weeks, there’s been a lot of speculation that the Carolina Panthers will trade down in the first round of the 2020 NFL draft. We can’t always take draft rumors seriously, but in this case there appears to be some fire underneath all that smoke.

According to a report by Ian Rapoport at NFL Network, the team is open to sliding back a few spots in the first round.

Moving down makes sense for the Panthers on a number of levels. First, there’s only a few true blue-chip defensive prospects in this class. The odds that either Jeff Okudah, Isaiah Simmons or Chase Young are going to be available at No. 7 are relatively low. The same is true for the top quarterback prospects, Joe Burrow and Tua Tagovailoa.

Carolina also has a ton of roster holes to fill, so adding more draft capital is the right move in general. Marty Hurney might even want to consider moving down multiple times.

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2020 NFL draft: 3 trade-down scenarios that make sense for the Panthers

Here are three trade-down scenarios that make sense for Carolina, one for each day of the draft.

The Carolina Panthers need more picks if they’re going to climb out of the hole they find themselves in going into the 2020 NFL draft. With so many weak roster spots to improve, they’ll have to trade down to collect more capital at some point if they hope to address them all.

Here are three trade-down scenarios that make sense for Carolina, one for each day of the draft.

Day 1: Panthers trade No. 7 pick to Broncos for No. 15, No. 46, No. 77 and No. 178 picks

CJ Henderson
(AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

No. 15 – CJ Henderson, CB, Florida

In this scenario, Ohio State’s Jeff Okudah is off the board early, so the Panthers decide to move down and take a crack at the next-best cornerback in this draft class. Henderson is an excellent man cover corner with elite athleticism and should continue improving at the next level. He will need to work on his tackling, though.

No. 46 – Justin Madubuike, DT, Texas A&M

After losing Gerald McCoy and Dontari Poe to free agency, Carolina needs to reload the interior of the defensive line. Madubuike (6-foot-3, 304 pounds) is more than just a space-eater. He will also draw double teams as a pass rusher. Over the last two seasons, he totaled 11 sacks and 22.5 tackles for a loss.

No. 77 – Logan Wilson, S/LB, Wyoming

Wilson is one of this year’s most underrated defensive prospects and he has the ability to do a little bit of everything. Last year, he posted four interceptions, 8.5 tackles for a loss, seven pass breakups and a sack. Wilson’s ability to play safety or linebacker helps two areas of need for a defense that will need hybrid players.

No. 178 – Myles Dorn, S, UNC

Dorn (6-foot-2, 205 pounds) is a developmental defensive back who would provide some much-needed depth at the safety position behind Tre Boston and Juston Burris. On top of solid ball skills (six career interceptions) Dorn is a solid tackler (10.5 tackles for a loss).

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