Reviewing Ron Rivera’s draft history on Days 2 and 3
2012 NFL Draft
After a 6-10 season, the Panthers held the ninth pick in the 2012 draft and select Luke Kuechly. Beyond that pick, the team had six picks on Days 2 and 3. They were without a third-round selection, but they had two fourths to make up for that.
Round 2, Pick 40: OL Amini Silatolu, Midwestern State. Silatolu was a late riser ahead of the 2012 NFL Draft and the Panthers selected him in hopes of developing him into a starter at one of the positions on the line. Silatolu had a solid rookie season as the starting left guard but injuries took a toll on him in later years. A couple of ACL tears and a meniscus tear limited him to just 38 games over the course of his next five seasons with the Panthers. It’s hard to blame anyone for this pick not panning out, as it looked like Silatolu would be a fine starter had he stayed healthy.
Round 4, Pick 103: DE Frank Alexander, Oklahoma. Alexander was a solid rotational edge for the Panthers in his first two seasons. He racked up 33 tackles, 3.5 sacks, and five pass defenses in limited playing time. However, Alexander was suspended twice for a total of 14 games in his third season for violating the league’s substances of abuse policy. He tore his Achilles in 2015 and was dealt a year-long suspension by the NFL for another violation of the league’s drug policy. That effectively ended his career.
Washington Commanders
Round 4, Pick 104: WR Joe Adams, Arkansas. It seemed like the Panthers had found another good returner in Adams after he averaged 11.5 yards per punt return and 23.1 yards per kick return during his rookie season. However, he muffed a couple of kicks against the New York Giants and that cost him his job. He was waived before the 2013 season and spent time with the Houston Texans during the 2014 offseason.
Round 5, Pick 143: CB Josh Norman, Coastal Carolina. This may have been Rivera’s best Day 3 pick of all time. Norman started for the Panthers as a rookie and though he only played in seven games the next year (no starts), he worked his way back into the starting lineup. From there, he blossomed into one of the league’s best corners for a stretch of four seasons. He was a force during the Panthers’ Super Bowl run and followed that up with an All-Pro season in 2015. He continued to play well for a couple of years with the Redskins before regressing the past two and being released.
Had Dave Gettleman not parted with Norman, the Panthers defense may have been in better shape to stay competitive, at least for a couple more seasons. Either way, Norman turned out to be a fifth-round steal, so credit to Rivera and Co. for identifying him as a potential starter based on his play at the East-West Shrine Game and Senior Bowl.
Round 6, Pick 207: P Brad Nortman, Wisconsin. I’m not a fan of drafting punters but Nortman was fine for the Panthers. He spent four years with the team and averaged 45.2 yards per punt. Not bad. He was also the first punter that the team ever drafted, so that’s a cool bit of trivia.
Round 7, Pick 216: S D.J. Campbell, California. Campbell made four starts as a rookie for the Panthers and recorded 12 tackles. He competed for a starting job in 2013 but lost to Mike Mitchell. He was waived from IR and played with the Dolphins before failing to make final cuts with the 49ers and Cardinals the next two years.
Overall: This draft was significantly better than Rivera’s first one. Joe Adams was probably the most regrettable selection. Norman turned out to be a start, Nortman was a solid role player, and Silatolu and Alexander could’ve been longer-term contributors had injuries and suspensions not gotten the best of them.