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Reviewing Ron Rivera’s first-round draft history with the Panthers

By Jacob Camenker

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - NOVEMBER 24: Head coach Ron Rivera of the Carolina Panthers reacts against the New Orleans Saints during the first quarter in the game at Mercedes Benz Superdome on November 24, 2019 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - NOVEMBER 24: Head coach Ron Rivera of the Carolina Panthers reacts against the New Orleans Saints during the first quarter in the game at Mercedes Benz Superdome on November 24, 2019 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images) /
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GREEN BAY, WISCONSIN – NOVEMBER 10: D.J. Moore #12 of the Carolina Panthers lines up for a play in the first quarter against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field on November 10, 2019 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
GREEN BAY, WISCONSIN – NOVEMBER 10: D.J. Moore #12 of the Carolina Panthers lines up for a play in the first quarter against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field on November 10, 2019 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images) /

2018: WR D.J. Moore

After whiffing on Kelvin Benjamin, the Panthers needed more talent at receiver. They were desperate for it ahead of the 2018 season as Torrey Smith and Devin Funchess were set to be the team’s top two wide-outs.

In the first round, the Panthers went after a receiver that had been on the rise. That was D.J. Moore. Though Calvin Ridley had been the consensus No. 1 option before the draft began, Moore ended up going to the Panthers with the 24th pick. And it has turned out to be a good decision.

While going with Ridley wouldn’t have been the wrong choice, Moore has found quite a bit of success in Carolina. He has played in 31 games (25 starts) for the team in his two seasons and has averaged 13.8 yards per catch. He hasn’t grabbed a ton of touchdowns, but he has been a threat to rip off chunks of yardage every time the ball has been in his hands.

As a rookie, Moore racked up 788 receiving yards and 172 yards on the ground. He ran quite a few jet sweeps that season and while Curtis Samuel took away some chances for him this year, Moore became a 1,000-plus yard receiver (1,175 to be exact) despite playing with an injured Newton, Kyle Allen, and Will Grier for most of the season. With above-average quarterback play, he could progress even more.

The Panthers will soon see if Moore can get that from Teddy Bridgewater. But either way, Moore looks like a No. 1 receiver that the Panthers got late in the first round. That’s good bang for their buck and if he can become a Pro Bowler or make an even bigger leap heading into his third season, Moore will look like another really strong pick for Rivera’s resume.

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