We’ll see: Carolina Panthers
The Panthers made a shocking decision to trade up for wide receiver Devin Funchess. While Cam Newton gets another weapon, he was the only receiver that they drafted. The first instinct for most analysts will be to label the Panthers as a loser, but they were criticized when they took Kelvin Benjamin in the first round. Funchess did not post big numbers, but that is difficult to do if you play for Michigan, who had an underwhelming offense that was poorly coached by the recently fired Brady Hoke.
Funchess will have a size advantage as he is 6’4″ and weighs 232 pounds. The Panthers passed on many receivers who were rated higher than Funchess on most draft boards and gave up two draft picks to get him. Since the Panthers proved experts wrong about Benjamin last year and have built a great defense through the draft, they get the benefit of the doubt for now.
Drafting linebacker Shaq Thompson also saves the Panthers from being a loser, as he was a playmaker at Washington, who produced three first-round picks from their defense. However, he and Funchess will need to produce since the Panthers only had five draft picks and did little to nothing to upgrade their offensive line.
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