Reviewing Ron Rivera’s draft history on Days 2 and 3

CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA - AUGUST 29: Head coach Ron Rivera of the Carolina Panthers watches on before their preseason game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Bank of America Stadium on August 29, 2019 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)
CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA - AUGUST 29: Head coach Ron Rivera of the Carolina Panthers watches on before their preseason game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Bank of America Stadium on August 29, 2019 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) /
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CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA – DECEMBER 29: Will Grier #3 of the Carolina Panthers during the first half during their game against the New Orleans Saints at Bank of America Stadium on December 29, 2019 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images)
CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA – DECEMBER 29: Will Grier #3 of the Carolina Panthers during the first half during their game against the New Orleans Saints at Bank of America Stadium on December 29, 2019 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images) /

2019 NFL Draft

The Panthers had exactly seven picks in 2019, one in each round. Here’s what they did with each selection and the early outlook of Rivera’s final class with the Panthers.

Round 2, Pick 37: OT Greg Little, Ole Miss. Little only started three games as a rookie and allowed three sacks and committed three penalties. He was considered raw coming into the league and dealt with injuries, so that’s why he didn’t play much as a rookie. That also would explain why the team acquired Russell Okung to presumably play in front of Little and let him develop as the swing tackle in 2020.

Round 3, Pick 100: QB Will Grier, West Virginia. Grier started two games in 2019 and it, uh, wasn’t pretty. He threw four interceptions in 52 pass attempts with no touchdowns. Yuck. He has a long way to go before being a potential start at the NFL level and he could be beaten out for the backup job by P.J. Walker.

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Round 4, Pick 115: EDGE Christian Miller, Alabama. Miller played in seven games and logged two sacks as a rookie. He has the makings of a solid rotational pass rusher and he should be the top backup this season if he can’t win a starting job.

Round 5, Pick 154: RB Jordan Scarlett, Florida. Scarlett was buried on the Panthers depth chart last season but could challenge for the backup role behind Christian McCaffrey in 2020. After only having four carries for 9 yards last season, it’s hard to know exactly what his future is.

Round 6, Pick 212: OT Dennis Daley, South Carolina. Daley started nine games at left tackle for the Panthers and showed some swing tackle ability. He allowed seven sacks but should continue to improve as time goes on.

Round 7, Pick 237: WR Terry Godwin, Georgia. Godwin didn’t make the Panthers team and spent the season on the Jaguars practice squad. He’s on the Jaguars roster as of this writing.

Overall: While Grier looks like a potential bust, Little, Miller, and Daley showed enough upside for the Panthers to provide some future excitement about this class. It’ll be worth revisiting this class after the 2020 season when more is known about the play of each prospect.