Carolina Panthers - NFC South

Carolina Panthers - NFC South, 2009 Draft Selections & Prospects

Carolina Panthers

- 2009 NFL Draft Breakdown and Analysis
1st Round | 2nd Round | 3rd Round | 4th Round | 5th Round | 6th Rd | 7th Rd

- CFN 2009 Draft Central & Team-by-Team Picks and Analysis

#	Pick
11	43	2nd Round (from San Francisco) Everette Brown, DE Florida State  6-1, 255 (Jr.) Is he big enough? He has the athleticism to seamlessly transition into an outside linebacker in any system, but his moved and his pass rushing technique are so strong and so polished that he’s far more intriguing as a lightning-fast end. However, he’s not all that tall and he doesn’t have much room to get too much bigger, so this might be it. While he’s not a big-time run stopper, and the jury is out on whether or not he could become an all-around playmaker at linebacker, he’ll work to make himself better and has the character to try to become the best he can be. If nothing else, he’ll be a fun pass rushing toy for a defensive coordinator to play with. CFN Value Rank: First Round    CFN Position Rank: 3
27	59	2nd Round   Sherrod Martin, S Troy 6-1, 198 Troy has become a pipeline of good defensive backs, and he has the raw skills to be the best and most versatile of the bunch. The question is whether or not someone can coach him up in a big hurry. He’ll be 25 when the season starts and he needs technique work as a corner, but the size, speed, and potential are all there. He’s a big defensive back with excellent range and decent wheels that could make him a starter at free safety, but he’s not a good enough tackler to be counted on right away at anywhere but corner. With his quickness and his upside, albeit with a range of about two years, he’ll be a potential boom pick. CFN Value Rank: Third Round    CFN Position Rank: 8
29	93	3rd Round Corey Irvin, DT Georgia 6-3, 300 A big body that can get even bigger and stronger, he's a quick, hard worker who moves well for his size and will make up for mistakes with good hustle. He's not strong enough for his size and doesn't hold up as well as he should considering his bulk. He needs work and a lot of time in the weight room, but he should be worth developing.  CFN Value Rank: Free Agent    CFN Position Rank: 30
11	111	4th Round (from San Francisco) Mike Goodson, RB Texas A&M 5-11, 200 (Jr.) A huge disappointment considering he was the type of superstar recruit who was good enough to carry the entire A&M team, Goodson wasn’t given enough work and wasn’t used quite right by two coaching staffs. Super-fast, he’s a burst back who’ll blow through a hole and rip off major yards in chunks as both a runner and a receiver. Get him on the outside in space and he’ll be gone. However, forget about any power and any inside production. He needs to hit the weight room hard and he’ll need to endear himself to the team early on. The speed alone makes him an intriguing prospect, but he doesn’t do nearly enough well, outside of use his wheels on the outside, to make him the type of back to revolve a running game around. He’ll likely end up making his money as a returner, but he could grow into a star if he can become a good receiver and grow into a third down back. CFN Value Rank: Fourth Round    CFN Position Rank: 12
28	128	4th Round Tony Fiammetta, FB Syracuse 6-0, 245 Extremely athletic, he’s a big hitting, 245-pound power blocker who’ll blast open holes. While he’s not much of a receiver and won’t get any carries, he’ll hit everything in sight. CFN Projection: Fourth Round   CFN Position Rank: 1
27	163	5th Round George “Duke” Robinson, OG Oklahoma 6-5, 330 A very big, very productive college player who beat people up simply by being larger, he’ll have to show right away that he wants to work to be the best possible guard. He opened some eyes at the Combine by being in far better shape than anyone expected, and if he takes to coaching and if he continues to drive himself, he’ll be a tremendous run blocker. With just enough agility to get by, he’s good enough to handle the quicker linemen, but his money will be made by flattening defenders. CFN Value Rank: Second Round    CFN Position Rank: 1
7	216	7th Round (from Oakland) Captain Munnerlyn, CB South Carolina  5-9, 185 (Jr.) Thanks to a disastrous decision to come out early, he needs to try to catch on by making some big plays early on in a camp or he’ll be a early cut. He’s strong, has good leaping skills and decent speed, but he can’t play at an NFL level. Fast receivers will blow past him and big receivers will shove him aside. With all that said, he could find a niche as a nickel back and a fourth corner if he can show off his run stopping ability and he’s just good enough of a return prospect to warrant a look. CFN Value Rank: Seventh Round    CFN Position Rank: 24
18	18	1st Round

2008

The Draft Was ... As good as could be hoped for. Jonathan Stewart is going to be a star, and Jeff Otah was a nice value OT pick at the 19. LB Dan Connor could've gone late in the first round, instead of the third, and no one would've blinked, while there was some surprisingly good deep value late in LB Hilee Taylor and DT Nick Hayden.
Best Value Pick: Dan Connor, LB Penn State. 3rd round. Welcome to the next Dan Morgan. The Panthers might have gotten their team's leading tackler with the 74th pick overall.
Biggest Reach: Charles Godfrey, CB Iowa. 3rd round. He went right about where he should've, but considering the need for a quarterback, and with the way many wanted Godfrey, this was a chance to trade away a mediocre corner, who's going to end up at safety, and gotten more third round value.
They Should've ... Grabbed a quarterback in the fifth round. TE Gary Barnidge is a luxury pick for a team in desperate need of a passer. Dennis Dixon, Josh, Johnson, Erik Ainge, Colt Brennan and Andre Woodson were still on the board and would've been a good value in the mid-fifth.

#	Pick
13	13	1st Round    Jonathan Stewart, RB Oregon So he has a big toe problem. Injuries heal. A special back who could be an elite difference maker for about ten games a season, it'll be the other six games that'll be an issue. Sort of because the way he's built, at 230 pounds, and with the way he cuts, he's always going to have problems with ankle injuries. Backs his size who try to cut like Barry Sanders simply don't hold up over the long haul without a variety of problems. However, speed and quickness-wise, he's the total package. He has the cutting ability to make defenders miss at the line, and the breakaway speed to tear off yards in chunks once he gets to the second level. He does everything well with the ability to catch out of the backfield and be used on kickoff returns on a regular basis. While he could be a workhorse who becomes a team's running game, he'll be absolutely devastating over the long haul if he's the No. 1 back on a team with a good No. 2 option to share a bit of the load. CFN Value Rank: First Round    CFN Position Rank: 3

19

19

1st Round (from Philadelphia)   Jeff Otah, OT Pitt A massive run blocker who will plow over everyone at the next level, he's ideal for anyone with a power running game and has the attitude to punish and destroy anyone who gets in his path. While he's not all that athletic and isn't going to be great on the move, he should be able to get by on his strength and his 6-6, 325-pound size. There's still work to be done, he's not a finished product, and that's a plus. The ceiling is limitless. CFN Value Rank: First Round   CFN Position Rank: 4

4

67

3rd Round   Charles Godfrey, CB/FS Iowa The measurables are there. He's close to six-feet and 207 pounds with 4.48 speed, he could be a nice corner or a killer free safety. A good tackler, he doesn't miss many stops and he has no problem being physical. While he made five interceptions last year, he doesn't attack the ball on a consistent basis and needs a ton of work on his style and technique. He'll be a better pro than a college player in a few years when he moves to safety full time. CFN Value Rank: Third Round   CFN Position Rank: 14 (as a CB)

11

74

3rd Round   Dan Connor, OLB Penn State A typical Penn State linebacker, Connor is a great tackler, is all over the field, and gives all-out effort all the time. It says something that he's the all-time leading tackler at Linebacker U. finishing up his great career with 145 stops and 15 tackles for loss. He even grew into more of a pass rusher making 6.5 sacks, but he's not going to get into the backfield on a regular basis in the NFL. He's not Paul Posluszny and he can't play on the outside, but he'll be a nice starter who'll make a ton of tackles. CFN Value Rank: Second Round   CFN Position Rank: 2

6

141

5th Round  Gary Barnridge, TE Louisville After a good three years, Barnridge emerged as Brian Brohm's main man as a senior with a tremendous 53-catch season with seven touchdowns. He really helped himself by timing far better than expected, and while he's not a natural route runner, he could fit in well as a second tight end who moves the chains. Not that big on a 6-5 frame, there's a ceiling on what he can do. CFN Value Rank: Fifth Round       CFN Position Rank: 12

15

181

6th Round  Nick Hayden, DT Wisconsin While he projects to be a backup, he should be a decent one. Without the athleticism to become a regular starter at the pro level, Hayden has to use his toughness and run stuffing ability to be a part of a rotation. He's not going to get into the backfield, but it won't be for a lack of want-to. He just doesn't have the tools. CFN Value Rank: Sixth Round  CFN Position Rank: 12

14

221

7th Round   Hilee Taylor, DE/LB North Carolina The classic tweener, Taylor is way too small to be an end but has too much pass rushing ability to not be considered for an outside job in a 3-4. He's not good enough against the run and he's not quite special enough to warrant a long look at linebacker if he's not getting into the backfield. CFN Value Rank: Free Agent   CFN Position Rank: 28

34

241

7th Round  Geoff Schwartz, OT Oregon It's all there except the athleticism. He's not not going to beat most speed rushers and he could eventually make his money at guard, but he'll battle hard and will beat people up in the running game. Really tough, really strong, and really good for long stretches, he'll be a great cog in the system for ten years, but he'll never be a Pro Bowl caliber performer. CFN Value Rank: Early Second Day   CFN Position Rank: 10

43

250

7th Round  Mackenzy Bernadeau, OG/OT Bentley While he's not all that strong, at least not strong enough to overcome that fact that he went to Bentley, and he's coming off  a knee injury, he's a big athlete who moves well and has worked his tail off to make himself into a pro prospect. Ideally a tackle with his tools, he's not an NFL tackle in talent. He'll make his money, if he can stick with a team, by being a good pass protector on the inside. CFN Value Rank: Sixth Round  CFN Position Rank: 8 (as an OG)