With the NFL draft just days away, the Panthers are preparing to draft in a new group of talented young players. Carolina currently holds seven draft selections, but all eyes are on their top two picks, which will take place at 33 and 39 overall. These will be the Panthers only picks inside the top 60, assuming they don’t make any trades. As the team looks to rebound from an abysmal 2-15 season, the new front office will need to ace their picks and bring in a strong new duo. They’ve struggled to hit on each of their top two selections in the past, but it’s more critical now than ever. With that being said, let’s look back over the recent duos Carolina has brought in with their first two picks.
2023- Bryce Young & Jonathan Mingo
The game plan in 2023 was very straightforward. The Panthers traded up to the first overall slot with the intention of taking their franchise quarterback, and paid a hefty price to do so. Once there, they selected Bryce Young, and turned their attention towards finding him a new target. 38 picks later, they did just that by drafting Ole Miss’ Jonathan Mingo.
It was a rough year for both rookies, as they struggled along with the rest of the team. Young showed flashes of greatness, but battled constant pressure due to a weak offensive line. As expected, this also limited Mingo’s success, as he failed to record a touchdown in his rookie season. With a significantly improved offensive line now in place, we’ll see if Young can meet expectations, and if Mingo has what it takes to be a top target.
2022- Ikem Ekwonu & Matt Corral
Many thought the Panthers would look to draft a quarterback in the first round of this draft, but they decided to bolster their offensive line instead. The value of the entire quarterback class was overstated leading up to the draft, as only one went in the first round. Carolina still grabbed a signal caller in the later rounds though, selecting Matt Corral with the 94th overall pick.
Corral, selected out of Ole Miss, might have seen time as the starter had he not suffered a season-ending injury in the preseason. He failed to make the roster the following season after the team drafted Young, and now finds himself in the USFL. As for Ekwonu, he impressed in his rookie season, but failed to take off in year two. There’s still hope for the tackle out of NC State, but he’ll need to prove he can be a solid part of an effective offensive line.
2021- Jaycee Horn & Terrace Marshall Jr.
The Panthers double dipped on SEC talent early in the 2021 draft, selecting South Carolina’s Jaycee Horn, as well as LSU’s Terrace Marshall Jr. Horn has been an extremely impressive cornerback when healthy, but has struggled to stay on the field. His talent is undeniable, but the constant injuries have made fans question whether or not he was the right pick.
It doesn’t help that Horn is always compared to Pat Surtain II, who the Broncos took with the very next pick. Surtain II quickly blossomed into a star, while Horn is still looking to become a household name. The same is true for Marshall Jr, who has struggled to find his footing since being drafted by the Panthers. He now finds himself a ways down on the wide receiver depth chart, meaning his window for success could be closing if he doesn’t pick it up soon.
2020- Derrick Brown & Yetur Gross-Matos
In a draft where the Panthers only took players on the defensive side of the ball, Derrick Brown and Yetur Gross-Matos led the way. Brown has developed into everything the Panthers could have hoped for when selecting him seventh overall, even making his first Pro Bowl this past season. Not only that, but he set the record for tackles in a single season by a defensive tackle, with 103 in 2023. He’s now the cornerstone of the Carolina defense, and will likely be for years to come.
As for Gross-Matos, he never ended up being what the Panthers thought he could be. The edge rusher started every game in 2022, but only recorded two and half sacks. This past season he only started six games, as he became more of a rotational piece. In the offseason he signed a deal with the 49ers, ending his underwhelming tenure with Carolina.
2019- Brian Burns & Greg Little
Possibly the best pick in recent Panthers history, Carolina knocked it out of the park by selecting Brian Burns with the 16th overall pick. He quickly rose to stardom, cementing himself as one of the best edge rushers in the entire NFL. He continuously improved over the years, even making the Pro Bowl in 2021 and 2022. Burns led the team in sacks in three different seasons, and was the obvious best player on the defense for most of his stint in Carolina. This time came to a close this offseason however, as the Panthers traded him to the Giants, acquiring the aforementioned 39th overall pick, as well as further draft compensation.
The draft wasn’t a complete success though, as the Panthers completely missed on their selection of offensive tackle, Greg Little. The third Ole Miss prospect on this list, Little only started six games in his two years with the Panthers. He was then traded to the Dolphins, where injuries prevented him from appearing in any games until this past season. He started seven games for Miami in 2023, but by no means has performed at a level that warrants being selected in the top 40.
2018- DJ Moore & Donte Jackson
Similar to 2021, Carolina decided to select a wide receiver and a cornerback with their first two picks of the 2018 draft. Taken at 24th overall, DJ Moore was the first receiver selected in the entire draft. He certainly made the Panthers feel good about their choice, as he was a standout during his time with the team. Through five years with the Panthers, he hauled in 364 catches for 5,201 yards and 21 touchdowns. He was consistently Carolina’s top wide receiver until his inclusion in the trade that helped the Panthers land Bryce Young. Moore’s success has continued in Chicago though, and should only improve with the impending selection of Caleb Williams.
Donte Jackson was also an integral part of the team throughout his time in Carolina. A vocal leader of the defense, Jackson made his presence known by stepping up in big moments. He wasn’t the most consistent performer, but certainly wasn’t a waste of a draft pick. Jackson was traded during the current offseason in the deal that brought Diontae Johnson to Carolina, but should still see his fair share of playing time in Pittsburgh.
2017- Christian McCaffrey & Curtis Samuel
A duo of fan favorites, Carolina went with two skill positions for their first two picks in 2017. Despite concerns that the seventh overall pick was too high for a running back, the Panthers selected Stanford’s Christian McCaffrey. Once he settled into the league, the decision was never questioned again. McCaffrey immediately proved himself to be one of the top running backs in the entire NFL, bringing unbelievable electricity to the offense. He struggled to stay healthy at times, but completely transformed the offense when he was on the field.
McCaffrey was traded to the 49ers in a blockbuster deal during the 2022-23 season, and is still known as the top running back in the NFL. As for Curtis Samuel, picked 40th overall, he was a reliable option in the slot during his time with the team. He eclipsed 2,000 receiving yards through four years in Carolina, before leaving for Washington in 2021. He’s set to join his third team this upcoming season after signing with the Bills in the offseason.
Takeaways
With the entire front office being shaken up this offseason, it isn’t worth much to use past drafts to predict what we’ll see in the coming years. It’s obvious that the Panthers have failed to nail their first two picks in some recent drafts, but that doesn’t mean this trend will continue. If it does though, the lack of success is far more likely to persist, as the team desperately needs star talent.
They’ve managed to grab stars before, as seen by the selections of Burns, McCaffrey, Brown and Moore. The question is whether they’ll be able to properly utilize these future stars, and manage to keep them in Carolina. Drafting a solid duo this week would be a great first step in that direction.
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Featured image courtesy of the Carolina Panthers.
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- Source: https://thegamehaus.com/nfl/reviewing-recent-panthers-draft-duos/2024/04/23/
