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Carolina Panthers: Has Cam Newton been worthy of first overall pick?

By Nick Ziegler

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With the first-pick in the 2011 NFL Draft, the Carolina Panthers selected Auburn quarterback Cam Newton with the hopes of him being a franchise quarterback.

Newton came out of college as a National Champion and Heisman trophy winner, and it was a rather easy choice for the Panthers that they needed to draft him. In the first-round, there were four quarterbacks taken within the top-12 picks, but Newton was leaps and bounds better than them out of college.

The three other quarterbacks taken all turned out to be complete busts, as Jake Locker, Blaine Gabbert, and Christian Ponder all haven’t had success in the NFL. Newton was able to avoid being labeled a bust by taking the NFL by storm in his rookie season, but has he lived up to being a number one overall pick?

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Newton started right away in his rookie season, and in his first game against the Arizona Cardinals threw for 422 yards in a loss. 400 passing yards for any player let alone a rookie is amazing, and Newton would do it again in his second career game against the Green Bay Packers.

Newton led the Panthers to a 6-10 record in his rookie season, but his stats were off the charts. In 2011, Newton totaled 4,051 passing yards and 21 passing touchdowns. Newton was a great dual-threat quarterback in college, and he brought that into the NFL with him. On the ground in his rookie season, Newton would total 706 rushing yards on 126 carries with 14 rushing touchdowns.

The great 2011 season for Newton led to him winning the Rookie of the Year award, and also being named to his first Pro Bowl.

In his second season, the Panthers would improve slightly, and Newton would put up comparable numbers to his rookie season. In 2012, Newton totaled 3,869 passing yards, 19 touchdown passes, and also five fewer interceptions. Newton would also run the football well in his second year, as he totaled 741 rushing yards and eight rushing touchdowns.

In 2013, the Panthers would have their most team success with Newton, but Newton’s statistics dropped dramatically. Two seasons ago, Newton would total 3,379 passing yards and 585 rushing yards. While over 500 rushing yards for a quarterback is still great, having less than 3,500 yards passing is fairly low nowadays in the NFL. The Panthers had one of the better defenses in the NFL in 2013, which certainly helped hide the big drop from Newton.

Jan 3, 2015; Charlotte, NC, USA; Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton (1) celebrates with fans after beating the Arizona Cardinals in the 2014 NFC Wild Card playoff football game at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

Last season, the talent around Newton was certainly lacking, as he lost his No.1 wide receiver Steve Smith Sr.. In addition to the loss of Smith, running back Jonathan Stewart was banged up, and the offensive line was never that good. Newton’s ability to run is great, but it also leaves him susceptible to being hit more. Those hits have seemed to have taken their toll on Newton, as he was hobbled by a bad ankle for much of 2014. In a blowout loss to the Eagles, Newton was crushed by their pass-rush, and there were moments that it looked like he wasn’t going to be able to get up.

Newton would miss two games last season, one in the beginning of the season as he was still recovering from the offseason ankle surgery. The second game he missed would be because of being involved in a car accident, but luckily for Newton he wasn’t hurt more severely.

While clearly not being full healthy in 2014, Newton would total career-lows in passing yards, rushing yards, and also had a 5-8-1 record as a starter. The injuries and lack of weapons could be a main factor for Newton’s drop in production, but in the last two seasons, Newton has been rather pedestrian.

If the hits are taking a toll on Newton’s body, he certainly has room to improve as a passer, as for his career he has a 59.5 completion percentage. For a number one pick, that is something that needs to be improved upon.

2015 with be Newton’s fifth in the NFL, and so far a concerning trend for the Panther is that his production is continuing to drop. Newton is easily the face of the franchise for the Panthers, but in the last two seasons he hasn’t looked like a player who is living up to being the first overall pick.

Next: Who will the Panthers draft in 2015?

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