Carolina Panthers: Next steps to rebuild passing game

The Carolina Panthers have made concerted efforts to rebuild the passing game and that will continue at the 2018 NFL Draft.

The Carolina Panthers are continuing their long term plan to rebuild their receiving core. The Panthers struggled mightily in 2017 as they earned only 207 yards receiving on the year. Injuries and a lack of production stifled their ability to move the ball through the year which led to the offense being grossly limited. This offseason leadership within the front office has made clear steps to correct the issues that hindered this offense last season.

The Panthers have already added two key pieces through free agency. Torrey Smith and Jarius Wright add some experience and key components that were missing last season. For example, Smith adds speed on the outside which the team lost when Ted Ginn was not re-signed at the start end of the 2016 season. Then there’s Wright who has shown an ability to play the slot position; an area where the Panthers were unable to find a key weapon with Greg Olsen being injured and Curtis Samuel’s slow development.

Many expect the next move to occur at the 2018 NFL Draft in the coming weeks. The Panthers are sitting in the 24th slot in the first round and many experts are predicting that the team will select a receiver with that pick. The question beyond that is whether or not the team will go all-in to select multiple options or if they will gamble on a big first-round option.

Alabama’s Calvin Ridley is widely considered the top receiver in the 2018 draft. If he’s still available this late in the first round it would be no surprise if the Panthers jumped on this player. If the team were to be seriously interested in Ridley they would have to make a move via the draft to jump up early and pick him up. Other teams are also interested in Ridley as a first round draft pick and he could be done before Carolina makes their first pick.

Then there is Dante Pettis. Pettis has shown the ability to be a speed threat on the outside, and having another play-making option helps this organization. What’s even more important about selecting Pettis is that he gives the team another player that can help on special teams; another unit that continually struggles to produce. Carolina’s return team under-performed last season and adding Pettis can help this unit begin to rebuild.

There is also Byron Pringle and Christian Kirk. Both of these players are expected to go during the mid-to-early rounds of the draft and would be a steal if available after the third. These players aren’t locks to make an immediate impact, but they can be developed into viable options that can help get this passing attack over the hump.

Next: NFL Mock Draft: Unexpected first-round picks post-FA

There are a lot of holes that need addressing throughout this Panthers team. General manager Marty Hurney has shown the onus to fix what is going on in the receiving core and there’s still work to be completed through the NFL Draft next month. Expect at least one, if not multiple receivers to find themselves with a Carolina hat on at the end of the evening.