Off-Topic » Sweat looks like a top ten pick to me."Defensive end Mon

tez Sweat is my annual way-too-early to really know pick for the Panthers in the first round. I blame it on Bucky Brooks. Then Sweat goes and sets a speed record and thus cementing his status in my heart.When a player like Sweat is the sixth or seventh rated edge rusher in a draft Stitched Shaq Thompson Jersey , you know it’s a draft deep in defensive linemen. The 2019 NFL draft is shaping up to be a historic draft in this regard. Only time will tell if it deserves that moniker but it’s hard not to be excited for the Panthers since they need an edge rusher in a bad way. Sweat’s size seems like he would be a better fit at 3-4 outside linebacker versus 4-3 defensive end. That would align with Ron Rivera’s stated desire to play more 3-4 defensive packages. Sweat has a combination of speed and strength that is sure to create pressure from the edge at the next level. Like I said earlier Sweat looks like a top ten pick.The absolute only other position I would select in the first round this year is a starting left tackle. There happens to be a couple left tackle prospects that have looked good and very worth of the No. 16 pick.Cam Newton needs protection, that is very clear. It would be an unforgivable sin for them to not invest an early pick in an offensive lineman in this draft. We know the Panthers’ front office won’t fill all the holes via free agency. They might fill one at most. Another big need and worthy of a second round pick is a center. There are a couple of them that could be available at the Panthers’ pick in the second round. Here’s the best of the group but he has peers.My preference is the Panthers select a left tackle prospect or an edge rusher with their first two picks in this draft. A center with the third pick and an offensive guard in a late round. So what about the secondary you say? An effective edge rusher like Montez Sweat will be a big help. It’s time to invest in both lines. Newfound stability in the front office may lead to continued success on draft day."It’s only one year in, but the Carolina Panthers’ 2018 draft class is already looking like a home run. D.J. Moore Youth James Bradberry Jersey , Donte Jackson, and Ian Thomas are a promising group of young athletes who are poised to become multi-year starters at their respective positions. Hitting on three out of eight picks might not seem like a good rate, but it is far better than the Panthers have been averaging for years. Factor in that five of those picks were in the fourth round or later Stitched James Bradberry Jersey , which are more akin to lottery tickets, and you could say that fans have every reason to be happy with the 2018 draft.Some of you are going to complain about Rashaan Gaulden here. Some of you should let that go. For one thing, the jury is still out on him Youth Vernon Butler Jersey , even if the evidence doesn’t favor optimism on his behalf. For another, it’s one pick in an otherwise stellar class. The Panthers could be better right now for a different pick. They aren’t and the 2018 draft is well finished by this point. There are no take backs. Let’s move on.The quality of that draft after the most tumultuous period in the history of the Carolina Panthers is a great sign of things to come. For all that we complain about general manager Marty Hurney’s draft history —his boom or bust nature is as legendary as it is terrifying— we have to acknowledge that his leadership combined with the scouting department he inherited from Dave Gettleman improved the roster from 2017 to 2018.Gettleman stole away a couple of his lieutenants after the draft, but the Panthers scouting department was not pilfered by him or other teams during the rapid changes at the higher levels of the organizations. A few guys got promotions and a few new voices were brought in Stitched Vernon Butler Jersey , but the promising thing is that the bulk of the talent that led to last year’s draft class has been retained.Consistently good draft classes start with consistently good scouts. 2019 presents the Panthers with the opportunity to prove they have those. The draft is about projection and hope. It is the idea that there is untapped greatness both in sight and hiding under rocks, all of which is waiting for your favorite team to take advantage. It’s how some teams become good and why so few stay that way. It’s why that consistency matters.The Panthers aren’t going to draft Pro Bowlers with each of their seven picks. Every Thomas is always balanced by one or more Gauldens. The 2019 draft probably won’t propel this team to Super Bowl LIV. But another three rookies that are talented enough to win starting jobs in the NFL would be a good start. The reason behind that start will probably be Carolina’s very recent stability.