The NFL Draft starts tonight and the Carolina Panthers head into the 2018 draft needing help on both sides of the ball.
I feel like I could almost cut and paste what I wrote last year prior to the draft on just what Carolina needs. Again, the Panthers need help at wide receiver and runningback. It also would not hurt to add an offensive lineman who can help protect quarterback Cam Newton.
Carolina picks 24th in the first round so all the big names will be gone. I looked at a number of mock drafts and here are some names that could potentially end up wearing a Carolina Panther uniform next fall.
The best wide receiver who could be left is Christian Kirk out of Texas A&M. He accounted for over 3,000 all-purpose yards and 40 touchdowns on offense during his three year career as an Aggie. I read where his strengths are that he has a combination of a sturdy running back frame, excellent open-field agility, and toughness with the ball in his hands. Those words made me think of former Panther Steve Smith. Carolina sure could use another one like Smith.
The runningback I would like to see Carolina take is Derrius Guice out of LSU. I believe he would be the perfect complementary back to Christian McCaffery now that long time Panther Jonathan Stewart was let go.
Guice missed portions of the 2017 college season due to injury but is healthy now. In 2016, he filled in for the injured Leonard Fournette and ended up leading the SEC in rushing (1,387 yards) and rushing touchdowns for running backs (15) despite starting just six of 12 games played. The first-team All-SEC selection ranked fifth in the country with 7.6 yards per attempt on the year.
Is The Honeymoon Over For Giancarlo?
Longtime baseball fans can cite player after player who failed to meet expectations after joining the New York Yankees. The pressure of being a Yankee and playing in New York has brought many a player down.
Next up could end up being slugger Giancarlo Stanton. The game’s highest paid player is striking out close to half of his plate appearances. And to make matters worse, his batting average at Yankee Stadium is hovering around the .100 mark. In fact, Stanton started the season three for his first 35 at home with 20 strikeouts. Those numbers will endear him to Yankees fans.
Stanton’s National League MVP award and the 59 homers he hit last season mean nothing to Yankee fans. You can count on this. He is an outsider until he wins their favor. Evidence of this is that Stanton was booed last week in a game New York won 12-1. Tough crowd to say the least.
Images: Derrius Guice; Giancarlo Stanton
