Reviewing Ron Rivera’s draft history on Days 2 and 3
2013 NFL Draft
It’s important to remember that the 2013 NFL Draft was one of the weakest drafts in the history of the league. Quality players emerged during the draft, but they truly were few and far between.
The Panthers were armed with only four picks outside the first round, but they found a way to make the most of them.
Round 2, Pick 44: DT Kawann Short, Purdue. Though the team spent a first-round pick on Star Lotulelei, the Redskins decided to double-up at defensive tackle. And the plan panned out as Short has actually become a more impactful pro than Lotulelei.
Short has twice been a Pro Bowler and has 32.5 sacks and nine fumbles so far during his seven-year Panthers career. He has been an all-around solid player and his 55 tackle, 11 sack season in 2015 helped to further spark an already strong Panthers defense. He’s an underrated playmaker and if he can return healthy in 2020 after suffering a torn rotator cuff, he should be a huge help to the Panthers.
Round 4, Pick 108: OL Edmund Kugbila, Valdosta State. After finding some success with Amini Silatolu, the Panthers took a chance on another small-school offensive lineman in Edmund Kugbila. Unfortunately, it didn’t pan out. Kugbila never played for the Panthers after dealing with a hamstring injury as a rookie and a back injury in his second offseason.
Round 5, Pick 148: LB A.J. Klein, Iowa State. Klein was one of my favorite sleeper prospects in the 2013 draft, and he has developed into a nice role player at the NFL level. He’s a great special teams player and served as a nice part-time starter and top-level backup during his four years with the Panthers. Klein racked up 146 tackles, four sacks, a pick, and four forced fumbles in Carolina and was a key depth player on defense for the team. He left the Panthers in 2017 and became a three-year starter with the Saints. Now, he’s reunited with former Panthers defensive coordinator turned head coach Sean McDermott in Buffalo.
Round 6, Pick 182: RB Kenjon Barner, Oregon. The Panthers already had Jonathan Stewart and DeAngelo Williams, so they didn’t need Barner. But they liked his value, so they picked him up. Barner didn’t get on the field much during his time in Carolina, but he became a fine rotational back and kick returner with the Philadelphia Eagles. He has averaged 23.4 yards per kick return and 7.7 yards per punt return during his career and is still playing as a member of the Atlanta Falcons.
Overall: This was a solid draft class considering the lack of talent in 2013 relative to what the Panthers got. Short and Klein were key players on the team’s defense during the Super Bowl run, so props to Rivera and the front office for seeing their respective values.