We all know the deal by now, understanding that it's pretty much an exercise in futility.
But still we click.
The true measure of a draft class can't be truly measured until the selected players have ample opportunity to make an impact on the field, but it's still fun to look at the perceived value in the days after the blessed event that is the draft.
So without further adieu, here's a sampling of what draft analysts think about the players the Panthers picked.
The man known for his seven-round mock draft liked what the Panthers did in each of the seven rounds. He likes the "explosiveness and bend" that Carolina got in first-round pick Brian Burns and feels like second-round pick Greg Little will meet a need. He sees Will Grier as a good backup candidate for Cam Newton, and sees fourth-rounder Christian Miller as a player who can contribute if he can stay healthy. In the fifth round, Carolina took a back in Jordan Scarlett that Reuter believes "will pair well with Christian McCaffrey."
Edholm praised Carolina's class based on the his site's pre-draft rankings, saying the Panthers grabbed five players in his top 100 and two more (Dennis Daley in the sixth and Terry Godwin in the seventh) who barely missed the list. The draft started on a high note with the selection of Burns.
"GM Marty Hurney's Round 1 slugging percentage is tremendous over the years," Edholm wrote, "and he hit another home run in Burns."
Kiper is a fan of Burns, considering him someone who would have been worthy of a top-10 pick, but he's not as fond of the rest of Carolina's draft class. He says that some teams have questioned Little's work ethic but acknowledges that if that proves inaccurate then Little could qualify as a steal in the second round. He's similarly unconvinced about Scarlett and Daley.
Prisco thinks the Panthers may have secured a first-round talent and a future Pro Bowler by trading up in the second round to select Little. He sees a real chance for both Burns and Miller to help improve the pass rush, but he isn't as sold as some others on using a third-rounder on a quarterback.
Iyer ranked the draft classes in order and put the Panthers in the No. 12 spot. He believes Hurney "hit it out of the park" with how he addressed roster needs in the first two rounds, and called the Grier move "wise" for insurance purchases. Iyer labeled Miller as a "sneaky pickup" for Carolina's defensive plans while viewing Scarlett as an "offbeat choice" behind McCaffrey.
Brugler put Carolina one spot behind Iyer's ranking. He says the Panthers needed to add a "young, stud pass rusher" and they did exactly that with the Burns selection. Brugler has questions about the Scarlett selection but believes Godwin could provide "a spark as an inside receiver."
