Revisiting the Carolina Panthers' 2019 Draft Class
Round 1, Pick 16: EDGE Brian Burns (Florida State)
Through two seasons, Brian Burns has registered 83 tackles, 37 QB hits, 16.5 sacks, and 13 tackles for loss, and three forced fumbles. He dealt with a hand injury in his rookie season which limited him to an extent but he turned up the heat in year two and is evolving into one of the best young pass rushers in the game. Despite entering just his third year in the league, he is considered one of the leaders of the Panthers' young defense.
Grade: A
Round 2, Pick 37: OT Greg Little (Ole Miss)
The former second-round pick struggled to see the field over the past two seasons and now appears to be buried on the Panthers' depth chart. It's rare to see a 2nd round pick be cut in his third year but I wouldn't rule out the possibility of that happening to Little. There's not much of a path to playing time and with the additions the team made in free agency and the draft, he could be fighting for a roster spot.
Grade: F
Round 3, Pick 100: QB Will Grier (West Virginia)
It was hard to get a gauge on where Grier stands, but in his one and a half games he saw action, it wasn't pretty. Blame it on the offensive line, receivers, coaching change, inexperience, whatever you want. One thing is for sure - Grier must prove his potential before the Panthers front office gives up all hope on him. He was inactive for the final nine games of the season last year and was beat out for the backup job by P.J. Walker.
Grade: D
Round 4, Pick 115: EDGE Christian Miller (Alabama)
The rookie campaign was not too kind to Miller as he went down in week five with an ankle injury vs the Jaguars that bothered him throughout the season. He only appeared in seven games for the Panthers and registered two sacks. Miller opted out of the 2020 season due to the pandemic, so there's still a big question mark on what he brings to the table. I don't want to grade him too harshly with very few games played.
Grade: C
Round 5, Pick 154: RB Jordan Scarlett (Florida)
The former Gator was placed on the injured reserve list in late November 2019, shutting him down after dealing with lingering ankle and knee injuries. Scarlett totaled just nine yards on four carries as a rookie and seldomly saw the field. He was released by the team in August as Carolina decided to go with Reggie Bonnafon and Mike Davis as McCaffrey's backups.
Grade: F
Round 6, Pick 212: OT Dennis Daley (South Carolina)
The jury is still out on whether or not Dennis Daley can be the hidden gem of this draft class. In week six, Daley received the 2nd highest grade for all rookies with an 82.3 rating for his performance vs the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2019 and he ended the year making nine starts and only committed three total penalties. An ankle kept him sidelined for much of the 2020 season as he appeared in only 5 games. Daley will be competing for playing time this fall with Pat Elflein, Deonte Brown, and John Miller.
Grade: C+
Round 7, Pick 237: WR Terry Godwin (Georgia)
Godwin's time in the Queen City didn't last long as he was waived by the Panthers on August 31st and was cut on September 1st, 2019. Despite being a seventh-rounder, it's hard to give Godwin a passing grade since he failed to remain on the roster.
Grade: F
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