Following a season that produced a league worst 2-14 record, the Carolina Panthers have a lot of work to do on both sides of the football. Head coach John Fox was let go, which was the first step towards rebuilding the franchise. Ron Rivera takes over for the Panthers, and will get to begin his new regime with a number one overall draft pick. With needs all across the board, the Panthers could go a number of different directions with the first pick.
2011 NFL Draft Team Needs: Carolina Panthers
Quarterback is the first and most important question mark on Carolina's roster. Jimmy Clausen was drafted in the second round of the 2010 NFL Draft, but displayed horrid body language and showed little promise as a passer or a leader in his rookie season. Talk of the Panthers taking a quarterback off of the board with the first pick has been heating up recently.
Despite Clausen's uninspiring season, he was not completely to blame for Carolina's offensive struggles in 2010. The team also lacked a true number one receiver. Steve Smith had a pedestrian 2010 campaign, and the Panthers don't have much behind him on the depth chart. Neither David Gettis or Brandon LaFell has shown the ability to be a go to receiver.
Assessing Carolina's needs would not be complete without addressing a defense that allowed 123 rushing yards per game. The defensive line has to be the main area of concern. Charles Johnson has not yet been resigned after collecting 12 sacks last season. Also, both defensive tackle positions need to be filled. If a quarterback is not the first overall pick, odds are a defensive lineman will be the selection.
After the jump check out the top three needs for the Carolina Panthers
1. Defensive Line - With a complete lack of talent at both defensive tackle positions, and the potential of Charles Johnson hitting the open market, Carolina's defensive line needs to be rebuilt. They cannot afford to let Charles Johnson slip away. Everette Brown showed some life at the end of the season, but he collected only four sacks all season and will not be able to fill Johnson's shoes. Da'Quan Bowers, Nick Fairley, and Marcell Dareus are all options with the number one pick. You gotta get the big guys early.
2. Quarterback - Jimmy Clausen may not have been given a fair shot at being the franchise quarterback, but in his limited action he gave coaches and fans little reason to believe he will ever be more than an NFL backup. The lack of talent around him was an issue, but that does not excuse Clausen's poor attitude. Blaine Gabbert delivered a knock out performance at his pro day, and looks the part of a franchise quarterback. New regimes mean new quarterbacks and if a team doesn't have a franchise quarterback they are best suited to draft one if he is available. It comes down to whether or not Ron Rivera and his staff believe that Gabbert is a franchise caliber quarterback.
3. Wide Receiver - The Carolina Panthers have a stable of young receivers that have amounted to close to nothing at the NFL level. To add insult to injury, long time go-to-guy Steve Smith appears to have hit the twilight of his career. Whether it's Jimmy Clausen, Blaine Gabbert, or Cam Newton under center for the Panthers in 2011, they need to surround their young franchise quarterback with some legitimate weapons to work with.
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