With the ninth pick in the 2012 Dawgs By Nature Community Mock Draft, the Carolina Panthers select...
Morris Claiborne, CB, LSU
This selection and write-up was made by nickjs21:
Well this practically writes itself, doesn't it? The Carolina Panthers were near the bottom of almost every offensive and defensive category in 2010. They were fortunate enough to add Cam Newton and in one offseason their entire offense was rejuvenated. Now Carolina will shift its focus to the other side of the ball; there's almost no doubt this pick was going to be on defense. On a per game basis, the Panthers ranked 27th in points allowed, 28th in yards, 24th in passing yards, and 25th against the run.
Originally I was going to make this pick for the defensive line. Carolina desperately needs a tackle who can both play the run and bother the quarterback, and an attractive group of Michael Brockers and Combine freaks Dontari Poe and Fletcher Cox looked really good at #9 (if not debatable reaches), as well as some edge rushers like Ingram. But I never thought Morris Claiborne was going to fall into their laps. In 2011 the Panthers' passing defense ranked dead last in the NFL in YPA; the draft's consensus #1 CB is a no-brainer and becomes an instant starter and likely immediate impact player on defense. Not only is Claiborne a premiere talent, but I'd consider him a great deal safer than any DT or pass rusher the Panthers were considering. No, if Morris Claiborne falls to 9 Carolina won't out-think themselves. They run to the podium and in consecutive years add a star player at a gaping need. Every team should be so lucky.
The Panthers have an opportunity to hit a home run in back-to-back drafts. Cam Newton was very good last year for a rookie, and addressing their defensive concerns the following year is a wise move. Carolina can't have the formula that they
-lose high-scoring games because their defense can't stop anyone, or
-lose those low-scoring games when Newton struggles, but they can't get the necessary stops.
Claiborne is considered the best defensive back in the draft, and I don't think he will be a bust.
The Buffalo Bills are on the clock next (email will be sent to The New Kardiac Kids).
Pos | Team | Player | Pos | School | Drafter |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Indianapolis | Andrew Luck |
QB | Stanford | Ryno III |
2 | St. Louis |
Matt Kalil | LT | USC | SpecialBrownie |
3 | Minnesota | Justin Blackmon | WR | Oklahoma State | pt_999 |
4 | Cleveland | Robert Griffin III | QB | Baylor | rufio |
5 | Tampa Bay |
Trent Richardson | RB | Alabama | Rounds94 |
6 | Washington | Riley Reiff | OT | Iowa | Groza |
7 | Jacksonville | Quinton Coples | DE | North Carolina | Chalmdeezy |
8 | Miami | Courtney Upshaw | OLB | Alabama | gentryholdem |
9 | Carolina | Morris Claiborne | CB | LSU | nickjs21 |
10 | Buffalo | The New Kardiac Kids |
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11 | Kansas City |
Brownie's Year |
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12 | Seattle | Jon @ DBN |
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13 | Arizona |
Browns town |
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14 | Dallas | bross09 | |||
15 | Philadelphia | PaduaDSP | |||
16 | N.Y. Jets |
Legoman0721 | |||
17 | Cincinnati |
Bernie19Kosar | |||
18 | San Diego | Adrock2009 | |||
19 | Chicago | OrangeAndBrownFever | |||
20 | Tennessee | iwearmocs | |||
21 | Cincinnati | Bernie19Kosar | |||
22 | Cleveland | rufio |
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23 | Detroit | nickmar19 | |||
24 | Pittsburgh | rdy | |||
25 | Denver | notthatnoise | |||
26 | Houston | troy145 |
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27 | New England |
Boston Browns | |||
28 | Green Bay |
ScottJC | |||
29 | Baltimore | Ecwingen | |||
30 | San Francisco | -bobby- | |||
31 | New England | Boston Browns |
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32 | N.Y. Giants |
Red-Right-88 |