Panthers general manager Marty Hurney has made a habit of hitting home runs in the early rounds of the NFL draft. He was responsible for bringing in Cam Newton, Luke Kuechly, Ryan Kalil, Thomas Davis, Julius Peppers and Jordan Gross, to name a few.
We don’t know yet if the team’s 2018 draft class is going to produce a name with that kind of star power, but the early returns are promising. Wide receiver DJ Moore looks like he’s going to be a brilliant yards after catch weapon, cornerback Donte Jackson has the potential to be a Pro Bowler and tight end Ian Thomas showed flashes, as well.
Writing at NFL.com, Jeremy Bergman has given Carolina’s haul a B+ grade.
“Moore and Jackson, who started every game for Carolina in 2018 and looked like DROY material for the first half, comprised one of the best tops of a draft this year. The same cannot be said for much of the rest of the haul.”
It may be a bit top heavy, but that’s true of most draft classes, especially for Hurney. There’s still time for guys like Rashaan Gaulden, Andre Smith and Jermaine Carter to prove that they are gems. So far, so good.
