Tag: Carolina Panthers

Watch: Panthers coach Matt Rhule on a defense-heavy draft class

If you like defense, you’re going to love the Panthers’ 2020 draft class.

If you like defense, you’re going to love the Panthers’ 2020 draft class. Through six rounds, the team has gone all-defense with their picks.

Head coach Matt Rhule was a guest on the draft broadcast a little while ago. He spoke with Trey Wingo about his defense-heavy draft class, as well as his feelings on Teddy Bridgewater and Christian McCaffrey’s extension.

So far, they’ve picked Auburn DT Derrick Brown (No. 7), Penn State DE Yetur Gross-Matos (No. 38), Southern Illinois DB Jeremy Chinn (No. 64), Notre Dame CB Troy Pride Jr. (No. 113), West Virginia S Kenny Robinson (No. 152) and Baylor DT Bravvion Roy (No. 184).

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Panthers No. 184 pick: Scouting Report for DT Bravvion Roy

Panthers No. 184 pick: Scouting Report for DT Bravvion Roy

With their No. 184 overall pick the Panthers selected defensive tackle Bravvion Roy. Roy played under Matt Rhule at Baylor and has been praised by Rhule as a strong leader and high character individual.

Let’s take a closer look at his scouting report and see what he brings to the table for Carolina’s new-look defense.

Strengths:

Roy has solid size for the defensive tackle position, measuring in at 6-foot-1, 333 pounds. He did not receive an invitation to the combine and was listed as one of the biggest snubs. Roy has relatively short arms, but holds his weight well throughout his frame with a thick lower half. He is quick out of his stance and shows that he can be an A or B gap shooter on early downs. Roy has some potential in his pass rush moves, as he has displayed the ability to rip and swim with fluidity. Overall, Roy will be utilized best as a rotational, early down lineman who can be an A or B gap penetrator.

Weaknesses:

Roy will have a tough time improving his pass rush techniques due to his short arms and lack of length. He is pretty much limited to being utilized as an early down gap penetrator in the NFL. He will also need to improve his pad level and play strength. This will help his anchoring ability in early down situations against the run.

Fit with the Panthers:

Roy should be a nice fit in Carolina reuniting with Rhule and defensive coordinator Phil Snow. Roy is a high-character player who plays with a non stop motor. He may not see the field much in 2020, but the Panthers will be able to bring in Roy on early downs to help stuff the run alongside Derrick Brown and Kawann Short in the near future.

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Panthers 2020 NFL draft: College highlights for DT Bravvion Roy

Let’s take a look at some of Roy’s college tape to get to know his game better.

The Panthers added another interior defensive lineman to their rotation by taking Baylor defensive tackle Bravvion Roy at No. 184 overall. Roy obviously has a connection with head coach Matt Rhule and he fills a big need on the depth chart after the team lost so many DTs to free agency.

Let’s take a look at some of Roy’s college tape to get to know his game better.

Roy vs. Oklahoma

Roy vs. Texas

Roy vs. Oklahoma (2018)

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Panthers pick Baylor DT Bravvion Roy at No. 184 overall

The Panthers have selected Baylor defensive tackle Bravvion Roy with the No. 184 overall pick in the 2020 NFL draft.

At long last, Matt Rhule finally got to draft one of his guys.

The Panthers have selected Baylor defensive tackle Bravvion Roy with the No. 184 overall pick in the 2020 NFL draft.

Roy (6-foot-1, 333 pound) is in the space-eater mold for defensive tackles. He did show some potential as a pass rusher last season though, totaling 5.5 sacks. He also posted 13 tackles for a loss in 2019.

Roy will offer some much-needed interior depth behind starters Kawann Short and Derrick Brown, the team’s first-round pick.

Unless they make a trade, the Panthers have only one pick left this year in the seventh round.

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Watch: Derrick Brown gets the call from the Panthers

Watch Carolina’s No. 7 overall pick Derrick Brown get the call from the Panthers on Thursday night.

We really never get tired of these videos. Watch Carolina’s No. 7 overall pick Derrick Brown get the call from the Panthers on Thursday night.

Brown was the first pick in what has been an all-defense draft class so far. We are now into the sixth round.

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Panthers No. 152 pick: Scouting report for S Kenny Robinson 

Robinson is a pro-ready safety who brings some interesting traits to the team.

The Panthers addressed the secondary yet again and took the first XFL player in the draft, selecting former West Virginia safety Kenny Robinson with the No. 152 pick.

Robinson is a pro-ready safety who brings some interesting traits to the team. Let’s dive into his evaluation a little deeper.

Strengths:

Robinson is a physically imposing safety who stands at 6-foot-2, 205 pounds. It is important to note that he did not receive a combine invite because he played professional football in the XFL with the St. Louis Battlehawks.

However, his strong athletic traits clearly show up on his tape. Robinson is essentially a cornerback in a safety’s body, as he has tremendous hip fluidity and very strong footwork. He covers well in both man and zone and has excellent ball skills at the catch point. Robinson is very aggressive – almost too aggressive – in his anticipation of jumping routes and flying to the ball. He also displays a super quick trigger to close on the ball. The best thing about his game is he will be able to play single high, up in the box as a strong safety and even contribute at nickel. Single high will probably be his best projection, though.

Weaknesses:

Robinson has some pop, but is not a great tackler. He needs to get better at wrapping up to be an effective tackler at the next level. He will also need to work on his discipline, as Robinson often shoots for interceptions and big hits too often instead of just playing the ball.

It is also worth noting that Robinson was kicked out of West Virginia for academic fraud. Some coaches completely removed him from their board, but he certainly has a ton of talent.

Fit with the Panthers:

It is a bit questionable why the Panthers picked another safety. However, Robinson is one heck of a value at this point in the draft. He is a Week 1 starter at safety and he can play single high, up in the box, or even at nickel for defensive coordinator Phil Snow. With this pick, it looks like the defense will be mixing it up in their sub packages with Jeremy Chinn at linebacker and Robinson at safety. It also allows them to play more cover 3, as they now have three strong zone coverage safeties on their roster. This means Juston Burris will most likely be transitioning back to outside corner.

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Panthers 2020 NFL draft: College, XFL highlights for S Kenny Robinson

Panthers 2020 NFL draft: College, XFL highlights for S Kenny Robinson

The Panthers continued adding to their secondary in the fifth round, picking West Virginia safety Kenny Robinson at No. 152 overall.

Robinson is a great value this late in the draft.

Here’s a look at some of his highlights from college and the XFL.

Robinson vs. Oklahoma

Robinson vs. DC Renegades (XFL)

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Carolina Panthers draft XFL DB Kenny Robinson

The Carolina Panthers dipped into the bankrupt XFL to pick DB Kenny Robinson.

Kenny Robinson will be a unique selection. Barring a return of the XFL, the former West Virginia and St. Louis BattleHawks DB will become the only player from the reincarnated and deflated league to become an NFL draft pick.

The Carolina Panthers selected Robinson in the fifth round Saturday.

The former West Virginia Mountaineer found his way to the fledgling league and did a solid job in the St. Louis secondary.

Robinson wrote a letter to NFL GMs for The Players’ Tribune April 21.

I consider myself a ball hawk. Somebody who knows how to find the football, whether it’s in the air or on the ground. A guy who relies on his preparation — his understanding of defenses and what offenses are trying to do — so he can play fast and free without thinking. Someone who’s not afraid to put a lick on somebody, or get down in the box and make plays at the line of scrimmage.

In five games in the XFL, I had 21 tackles, two picks and a sack.

… And I know the XFL is not the NFL. I know that. But I could tell the difference in the speed of the game the second I stepped on the field in a BattleHawks uniform. There was definitely an adjustment, but I believe I made it pretty easily. And I know the NFL game is even faster than the XFL. And I believe I can make that transition just as easily.

Panthers pick West Virginia S Kenny Robinson at No. 152 overall

The Panthers have selected West Virginia safety Kenny Robinson with the No. 152 overall pick.

The fifth round of the 2020 NFL draft has arrived. The Panthers have selected West Virginia safety Kenny Robinson with the No. 152 overall pick.

Robinson is the latest addition to Carolina’s secondary, joining Southern Illinois’ Jeremy Chinn and Notre Dame’s Troy Pride Jr. on what will be a much different-looking back end of the defense.

Robinson checks in at 6-foot-1 and 202 pounds. He was very productive the last two years in college, totaling seven interceptions, seven pass breakups and two defensive touchdowns. He played in the XFL this season for the St. Louis Battlehawks, posting 21 tackles and two interceptions.

Whereas Chinn projects to replace Eric Reid in the strong safety roll, Robinson is better suited to play the middle of the field, so he will likely serve as free safety Tre Boston’s backup to start.

Landing Robinson this late may be considered a steal. At one point, Pro Football Focus had him projected as a first-round pick.

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Derrick Brown defends his girlfriend on Twitter: ‘Get this trash off the internet’

Panthers first-round pick Derrick Brown defends his girlfriend on Twitter over bad headline: ‘Get this trash off the internet.’

The Carolina Panthers picked Auburn’s Derrick Brown in the first round with an eye on improving their defense, a theme that has continued into Day 3 of the draft. Whether or not Brown will be worth a top-10 pick remains to be seen, but his defensive instincts are already apparent.

Responding to a headline by Robert Littal at Black Sports Online that described his girlfriend as his “Baby Mama,” Brown called them out in a tweet and said “get this trash off the internet.”

Good on Brown to stand up for her.

One of the reasons the Panthers picked Brown was his character, which coach Matt Rhule touted after the pick.

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