Through the first four rounds of the 2019 NFL draft, the Panthers didn’t have a single miss. It was only a matter of time before they missed a step, though. Using the No. 154 overall pick in the fifth round, Carolina chose Florida running back Jordan Scarlett.
Even though coach Ron Rivera has stated on several occasions this offseason that they want a back who can do the same things Christian McCaffrey can on the field, this ain’t it.
To be fair, it’s extremely difficult – perhaps even next to impossible to replicate McCaffrey’s abilities. However, Scarlett is a totally different kind of running back. He has very little experience and ability to catch the ball and is inconsistent in pass protection, making him ill suited to play third downs on the rare occasions when McCaffrey comes off the field.
He might be a pleasant surprise, though. Like Mike Tolbert, Scarlett is more of a grinder for short yardage situations and has good balance. Let’s watch some of Scarlett’s work from his time at Florida.
Scarlett vs. Kentucky
Scarlett vs. LSU
Scarlett vs. Georgia
Scarlett vs. Vanderbilt
