As many of us expected, the worst performing position group through the first quarter of the season has been the offensive line. Dave Gettleman and company did their best to reassure us in the offseason that the answer is often on the roster, but those words are ringing more hollow by the day. The offensive line is looking historically bad and significant improvement seems rather unlikely and completely unattainable at the moment.
But there's another position group that isn't that far ahead of the offensive line.
Early on in the first half of the last week's Sunday night game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, I suggested that the Panthers defense was receiving over-the-top attention from the pundits and therefore overrated. No doubt this was a provocative view, but it was my genuine belief at that moment. Invariably, the idea that the Panthers defense could be over-hyped, was enthusiastically shot down. But none of that matters now. No one, including myself, can call the Panthers overrated now. If anything, this defense is over-matched and undermanned, which is a far cry from their overlooked status in 2013.
The thought going into the 2014 season was that it matters little who is in the secondary as long as the Panthers rotation of defensive lineman continues to be dominant. Well, this can no longer be said of the front four. One starting defensive end is unavailable because of legal issues. Another one is on the field, but you can hardly tell because he's been neutralized in every game. Still another rotational end hasn't played a snap due to a four game drug suspension. As a whole, the tackles have been surprisingly ineffective as well. Consequently, both the run defense and pass rush has been mostly nonexistent. Hopefully, things will improve as the season progresses, but I'm not going to holding my breath. Instead, I've identified a prospect who could be just the infusion of first round talent that could reignite the currently dormant embers of this once proud line.
Meet Randy Gregory.
The first thing you notice on tape when evaluating this Nebraska Cornhusker is that he is gifted with an explosive first step. In fact, his burst off the line is as quick as anyone in all of college football. It's one thing for an offensive lineman to get a sense of Gregory's speed in the film room and entirely another to experience it live. Oftentimes, before these unsuspecting tackles can even react, he's already cleared past them. At this point, the ball carrier or passer has little recourse but to retreat. But their attempts to escape are usually in vain because the Indiana native's closing speed is altogether breathtaking. You would be hard pressed to find another prospect who is more agile when tracking down the opponent.
When engaging with lineman, Gregory appears to have a fairly advanced sense of how to manipulate his blocker. Less skilled defenders have a difficult time executing counter moves on the fly, but this isn't the case with the precocious 21 year old. He routinely seems to read a blocker's technical intentions before they're able to lock in and anchor down. This allows him to knock the lineman off balance and win the all important leverage battle. Gregory already has a remarkably devastating swim move and he can effectively spin his way past the opponent as well. Additionally, his exceptionally quick and active hands are a formidable weapon which affords him the separation he needs to advance past his blocker. More than a few lineman have tried to cut block Gregory, put to no avail. He's too athletic to get taken out and more times than not he'll make you pay for attempting this desperate move.
But the best part of Gregory's game is his heart. You can't teach effort and he puts it forth in spades. How many times have we seen genetically superior talents fall by the wayside because of a lack of passion? Unlike many of the physical freaks before him, the 2013 First-team All-Big Ten defensive end exudes energy. His motor is relentless and he regularly plays through the whistle. You can tell he wants to be great by how hard he works on and off the field.
As far as weaknesses go, Gregory needs to bulk up, especially if he is drafted by a team like the Panthers, who employ a 4-3 defense. His height(6-foot-6) and length are unquestioned, but his 255-pound frame is a bit lean to consistently and effectively handle run stopping duties in such a scheme. Another area that Gregory needs to improve on is his ability to transfer speed to power. Due to his relative lack of strength, his technique needs to be nearly flawless for him to win the leverage battle or else he can be easily swallowed up and controlled once a blocker gets under his pads. Ultimately, the tools are in place, but he just needs some refinement. As far as comparison's go, I see some of Robert Quinn in him, which is a ceiling I believe he can reach.
If Gregory declares early, there's an outside chance he gets picked in the top ten. Should the Panthers continue to struggle, they'll be in the dubious position of drafting whomever they want. Even if he is a bit raw, don't be surprised if Gettleman selects the disruptive Gregory based on his unlimited potential. The season is early, which means there is still no way of knowing where the Panthers will be picking in the 2015 NFL Draft. With that being said, my prediction is that if they end up in the top ten, then an offensive tackle will likely be selected. Gregory will be in play in the 11-20 range or after.
What do you think CSR? Be sure to check out his game tape and highlights below to assist your own evaluation.