Gästebuch » If the Panthers are going to address the gap at defensi

ve end through the draft DJ Moore Jersey On Sale , they had better pick well - and early."WhiteFanposts Fanshots Sections Keep Sounding PodcastPanthers 2019 NFL DraftCSR Film RoomWhat are the odds the Panthers land a late-round sleeper at defensive end? New,18commentsIf the Panthers are going to address the gap at defensive end through the draft, they had better pick well - and early. ESTShareTweetShareShareWhat are the odds the Panthers land a late-round sleeper at defensive end? Bob Donnan-USA TODAY SportsAddressing the defensive end position needs to be a priority in the 2019 draft. It wouldn’t be surprising to see Carolina invest a first or second round pick at the position. But since the Panthers still have their picks in Rounds 4 through 6 (they traded Round 7 in the 2017 Kevon Seymour deal) I wanted to explore how likely it would be for Carolina to land a solid defensive end in the later rounds. You know, finding a “sleeper”, a term almost all of us have used before with either late Panthers picks in years past or during our own fantasy drafts. But how likely is it that the Panthers can actually land a solid defensive end in the late rounds? One way to assess this is to simply look at the draft position of today’s “good” defensive ends. For “good” defensive ends I used Football Reference’s Approximate Value (AV) from 2018 and found a natural cutoff point at an AV of five or higher. I then cross-referenced AV with free, public data from Pro Football Focus and feel comfortable that while this list isn’t perfect, it’s at least directionally correct (full spreadsheet here). Here are the draft positions of the Top 32 defensive ends in 2018 as rated by AV:Not surprisingly, 18 of the 32 best defensive ends in 2018 were drafted in the first two rounds, but it did raise my eyebrows a bit to see an even split of nine first rounders and nine second rounders. Only six of the top 32 were drafted between rounds 4 through 7, so the odds aren’t great for the Panthers finding a sleeper. As a frame of reference DJ Moore Jersey Sale , the six solid defensive ends drafted in the later rounds are Everson Griffen (4th), Alex Okafor (4th), Brent Urban (4th), D.J. Reader (5th), Darius Philon (6th), and Stephen Weatherly (7th). Now, let’s look at the “hit rate” of late-round picks at defensive end. While this is an arbitrary number on my part, a solid NFL career can last eight years if not longer. Based on data from Football Reference a total of 92 defensive ends were drafted in Round 4 or later between 2011 and 2018. In all, of the 92 defensive ends drafted between Round 4 and 7 over the last eight years only six are among the NFL’s Top 32, putting the hit rate at just 6.5 percent (six of 92). Another interesting observation is four undrafted free agents are among the NFL’s better defensive ends. This includes our very own Mario Addison Replica DJ Moore Jersey , Romeo Okwara, Michael Bennett, and Cameron Wake. However, every year upwards of 500 UDFAs get signed every year, so good luck if that’s your path forward. If history continues to repeat itself the Panthers aren’t going to find a quality starter in the back half of the draft, though I would be delighted if they proved me wrong. This isn’t a shocking conclusion in and of itself, but it really illustrates just how rare it is to find true quality at defensive end in Round 4 or later. If anyone is holding out hope for a late-round defensive end sleeper, it’s probably time to wake up and smell the data. The Panthers add some depth to their defensive line with the No. 16 pick in Dan Kadar’s latest mock draft for SB Nation."It’s been said before, but it’s crucial for the Carolina Panthers’ to revitalize their pass rush in 2019. Last season, the Panthers ranked 27th in the NFL with 35 sacks Stitched DJ Moore Jersey , their lowest total since 2011. Julius Peppers’ retirement leaves an open spot opposite to Mario Addison and Carolina is likely to fill the void in the upcoming NFL Draft. In Dan Kadar’s latest mock draft for SB Nation, he agrees that the Panthers should address their defensive end need with the No. 16 overall pick. In previous weeks, he predicted the Panthers would take Montez Sweat or Clelin Ferrell. This week, it’s defensive end Rashan Gary. My takeGary had himself a week at the NFL Combine. At 6-foot-4 and 277 pounds, The former Wolverine showed off his athleticism, explosiveness, and speed. Although his production was inconsistent at the college level, Gary demonstrated his pure talent in Indianapolis. Gary is a versatile defender with the skillset to be a disruptive force. He’s an edge setter and powerful against the run. There’s no reason a player with his ability can’t be coached to an elite level. Considering his size and talent, should the Panthers overlook the consistency of Gary? Or should it be seen as a red flag?