The Panthers claimed wide receiver Donte Moncrief off waivers from the Steelers on Monday.
Let’s take a look at what Moncrief brings to the table based on his tape.
Speed
The first thing you should know about Moncrief is he’s fast. He ran a 4.4-second 40-yard dash at the combine. That kind of time doesn’t always translate to top-notch game speed but in Moncrief’s case it has.
Here Moncrief blows past Trumaine Johnson and scores on a 67-yard touchdown pass from Blake Bortles.
Size
For a while, Carolina put too much emphasis on receiver size (see: Kelvin Benjamin) but since they may have over-corrected and could use some more of it. Greg Olsen’s heavy usage as a blocker this year as opposed to running routes has also exacerbated their need for another tall target.
Enter Moncrief, who is 6-foot-2 and 216 pounds with 32.375-inch arms and 9.125-inch hands, making him the biggest wide receiver on the roster right now. While size is largely an oversold trait for red zone threats, it certainly doesn’t hurt.
Here Moncrief high-points for a touchdown on a nice ball from Jacoby Brissett.
Drops
The main reason why many Panthers fans are disappointed in this pickup is Moncrief’s well-documented issues with drops. According to Pro Football Reference, he’s dropped eight passes over the last two seasons (21 games) and he’s only been targeted 104 times.
Here Moncrief lets a well-placed pass from Ben Roethlisberger bounce right off his hands.
Moncrief’s catch rate with Pittsburgh this year was a pitiful 26.7%, so you can see why they put him on waivers in the first place.
Whether it’s fair or not, Moncrief’s performance with the Panthers will be judged mostly on how many passes he drops. If he cleans that part of his game up, he can be a valuable contributor for a passing offense that needed a shot in the arm. That’s a big if, though.
