Captain Munnerlyn

Finally we have the last of our draft picks, Captain Munnerlyn (from here on out refered to as "The Captain"). I want him to make the team just based on his name, but alas its about talent and numbers. He's a 5' 9" 182 lb cornerback from the South Carolina Gamecocks.

Upside: B

While he played mostly zone in college, The Captain has shown flashes of being a cover corner. He's can break on the ball and get's he hand between the ball and receiver and has the natural ability NFL teams looks for in a player. Was a solid corner for the Gamecocks and during his college career was named All-Southeastern Conference first-team by the league's coaches. He has punt and kick return experience and will probably be considered for this role as well, although is down the depth chart.

Downside: C-

While The Captain has the natural talent to play, it also may be his downfall in the NFL as he could rely to much on his abilities. He's also on the shorter side for a NFL corner, yet this could be an overrated negative. His on the field effort have also been called into question by Coach Steve Spurrier and was benched a game for missing a team meeting. Some also question his durability in missing at least one game each season.

Fit: C-

While he is a 7th round pick and isn't projected to make a starting line up, he could be be a surprise down the road. In addition, although he is on the shorter side, his strengths seem to play into Ron Meeks mold. However, there is no guarantee he will make the roster and he's just as likely to be practice squad player. Yet, with uncertainty at cornerback depth his chances are as good as any other CB currently on the roster. As with most backups on the roster his greatest chance to make the team is via special teams. Also, he will need to make sure he's mentally prepared for the NFL as missing meetings and lack of effort is a quickest way to the door. The Captain was a rising CB before this last year and thus the jury is still out on how he will make the transition. He could become a star, a dud, or nothing more than a solid nickle corner. How's that for certainty.

Scouting Reports:

NFL Combine Results

SC Gamecocks Profile

Mocking the Draft Profile

It's always interesting to see how a draft ranked C and D all over various sites can be grades simply because of a single trade. Meanwhile, the Panthers catch fallers in all positions including this latest player Duke Robinson whom was taken all the way down in the 5th round.

Let me take you guys back a bit. It's in the 4th round of the NFL Draft. We had our own little draft board of guards and tackles at the start of the 4th round waiting for our next pick. All of the sudden we're on the board. Robinson is available. Then we're all wondering what the heck happened as the Panthers select fullback Tony Fiammetta in the 4th round.

We're upset for a few seconds, but it quickly passes over as we do research and figure out that he was one of, if not the best fullback in the draft: A worthy successor to Brad Hoover. As if a act of divine providence, Robinson continues to fall and the Panthers land him at pick #163 in the 5th round. He's a road grader that will be able to take a starting position within the next few years. He is an absolute steal in the 5th round.

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Round 4, Pick 28 (128) Tony Fiammetta FB 6'0" 245 Syracuse

Upside: Grade A

Tony (Placido) Fiammetta has the size, strength and toughness to play fullback for the Panthers for many years to come. He led all RB's at the combine with 30 reps on the bench and was the top ranked fullback on many scouts boards simply for his ability to deliver a block. Fiammetta is also known for his ability to cut block DT's and stone crashing DE's long enough to execute most running plays. When you throw is his ability to catch the ball you can understand why he has a lot of upside. Fiammetta will also have the benefit of learning behind the best FB in Panther history (IMO) in Brad Hoover for a season or two.

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Corvey Irvin was a player that was not supposed to make it into the NFL Draft. He was a player was not recruited by the major colleges. He was a player that was not supposed to succeed, but he did anyway because he's a hard worker and he's willing to get better.

In other words, he's my type of player.

Round 3, pick 93 of the NFL Draft: Corvey Irvin

Upside: B

Corvey Irvin immediately inserts another body onto the defensive line that desperately needs help, and he will provide strong competition to the aging Damione Lewis for the starting job in 2009. His main job will to be to help against the run, which started out strong but faultered in the 2nd half of 08. He has nice long arms to use in the trenches, good lower body strength to provide penetration and push his guy back. Strong arms and tackles very well. He does a good job of throwing up his arms and limiting the passing lanes.

Downsize: B

He has to be quicker off the snap to be able to generate a better pass rush. He needs to continue to work on his first move on passing downs so that he can get to the QB quicker.  Once honed in on a OT or a Guard, he struggles to disengage and finish off the play. Needs to learn better footwork, it could do wonders for his game.

Fit: A

Another excellent pick by John Fox. He will provide great help to a Panthers DT unit that desperately needs youth. He had a good season as a senior with Georgia, taking over for the Bulldogs when starter Jeff Owens went down for the year. He generated 32 tackles and 3 sacks, not bad for a backup coming off the bench.

Odds are he will enter the season as a backup, but as he did in college he may take a permanent starting job if one of the guys in front of him goes down from injury. Whether this year or next, he is a definate heir to Damione Lewis.

((PS: Video and images of this guy are in very, very short supply. If you guys could hunt down some highlights of him, I would be forever grateful. I couldn't find anything myself.))

Let's go back to a link I used earlier in the week from ESPN. I like this analysis in that it averages the draft grades of 9 popular or well-known NFL authorities to better level the overall opinion. So you can quickly see that on average the Panthers draft was rated second best in the division. So let's look at the grades assigned to our division foes and see if we should be worried about their challenge to our division crown:

#1 Atlanta Falcons (2.96) Solid B

The Falcons targeted their defense early and often, first with the selection of highly rated DT Peria Jerry. They then added three players to the defensive backfield in S William Moore and CB's Chris Owen and Will Middleton. The top 5 is rounded out with DE Lawrence Sidbury, a guy many of us at CSR had hoped would end up in Carolina blue.   

The Falcons know that in order to beat the Panthers twice in 2009 they had to upgrade the run defense. In addition to a DT though they really needed a stand out LB but failed to get one. Jerry will be real good one day but he will need time to develop. Moore is known as a big hitter but lacks great coverage skills. Sidbury may actually have the biggest impact of these rookies in 2009 as his speed could spell trouble for our pass protection. But in the end I still think the Panthers will be able to run the ball against the Falcons and hopefully keep Matt Ryan off the field as much as possible. So overall I'm not too worried about what the Falcons have done for the 2009 season.

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Mike Goodson

Upside: B-

Mike Goodson played three years of college football at Texas A & M before entering the draft this year. He showed big potential his freshman year after leading the Big 12 with 847 yards on an average of 6.7 yard per carry. He had the 7th quickest 40 time at the combine of all the running backs with a 4.54. He's a quick versatile player that can make defenders miss in the open field. He also brings more than a backup running back to the table. He shown the ability to catch the ball out of the backfield and in the slot position.

Downside: C

There are injury/durability concerns as a running back in the NFL. He missed playing time in 2006 and 2008 with knee injuries and wasn't able to workout during his pro day because of a tweaked hamstring. He's also not the strongest running back, which means he's not a good fit as an every down player.

Reports of discontent with his coaches also raises concerns. Some scouting reports have indicated this is why he left after his junior year, this and the lack of playing time. However, if he didn't like his playing time in college, it's not likely to improve with the Panthers.

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More photos » by MATT SLOCUM - AP

6 months ago: FILE - In this Oct. 4, 2005 file photo, Troy State defensive back Sherrod Martin, right, breaks up a pass intended for North Texas wide receiver Zach Muzzy during the fourth quarter of a college football game in Denton, Texas. Martin was selected 59tuh overall by the Carolina Panthers during the second round of the NFL Draft Saturday, April 24, 2008. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum, File)

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Over the next couple weeks CSR will provide in-depth analysis of each of the Panthers recent drafts and select UDFA's. This post will focus on 2^nd round pick DB Sherrod Martin.

Round 2, Pick 27 (59) Sherrod Martin S 6'1" 198 Troy  Combine 40 Time: 4.52

Upside: Grade B

The upside of this pick is Martin fills the immediate need for a nickel corner, the result of the move of former nickel corner Richard Marshall to an outside CB spot. Martin brings versatility to the defensive backfield in that he has played CB, nickel corner and most recently safety. I have found nothing but glowing reports on this guy particularly this one at Draft Countdown. This analysis has all the adjectives you want in a DB... great speed and acceleration...fluid hips...very physical...excellent tackler...good range...nice hands. You get a real good sense of his hands in this video where he picks off a pass that was deflected. 

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More photos » by David Zalubowski - AP

6 months ago: FILE - In this Sept. 14, 2007 file photo, Colorado quarterback Cody Hawkins, front, is sacked by Florida State defensive end Everette Brown in the third quarter of an NCAA college football game in Boulder, Colo. Brown is a top prospect in the 2009 NFL Draft. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File)

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Everette Brown

Upside: A

Everette Brown can provide an immediate impact to the Panthers defensive line. He has excellent pass rushing skills and is likely to quickly bypass both Charles Johnson and Tyler Brayton as the starter at left defensive end. He has a quick release off the edge, a good arsenal of moves, and stays quite low to the ground. Some have compared him to Dwight Freeney from Indianapolis in this respect. He was projected as a first round selection and some had as high as a top ten pick earlier this year.

In addition, his character is a perfect fit for the Panthers as he has been a leader for he Seminoles in his volunteer efforts. He also hails from nearby Wilson, NC, not too far from Peppers hometown of Bailey, NC.

Downside: B

Brown's size is the biggest concern. Many scouting reports placed him as a hybrid (tweener) DE/OLB in a 3-4 defense. He's been compared to DeMarcus Ware, which isn't a bad thing, but Ware does play in a 3-4. Because he's a little smaller his rushing defense could be suspect, especially when facing a hefty offensive lineman. He could stand to add a few pounds to his frame.

Fit: A

Just the though of having Julius Peppers and Everette Brown on the defensive line gives me a great big smile. While there is uncertainty with Peppers future, I have no doubt I want them to play at least one year together. On the other hand if Peppers isn't around this year, Brown should be able to step in a provide an adequate replacement.

With the addition of Ron Meeks as the Panthers defensive coordinator, this pick fits perfectly in his style of defensive player.

Scouting Reports:

NFL Combine

Tomahawk Nation "Exit Interview"

Seminoles Bio