Solid Starter
D.J. Moore, WR, Maryland – Round 1 
The Panthers were in dire need of receiving talent for Cam Newton after trading away Kelvin Benjamin during the 2017 season. Devin Funchess is a limited player, and no other receiver on the roster had even had 20 receptions for Carolina last season. Thus, general manager Marty Hurney had to get upgrades in free agency and the 2018 NFL Draft. Torrey Smith was a decent signing, but taking Moore in the first round could provide Carolina with a solid starter quickly.
The 6-foot, 210-pound Moore is a gritty receiver with speed and quickness to generate separation. Due to his vertical speed and suddenness out of breaks, he is a threat to stretch the field and can challenge defensive backs deep downfield. Moore is a competitive, aggressive, and fights defensive backs to make catches over them. He is very good after the catch, displaying elusive moves in the open field to dodge tacklers. Moore also uses his strong build to break tackles and bully defensive backs. Routinely, you would see Moore generate a lot of yards after the catch by juking defenders and running through the tackles of defensive backs. Additionally, Moore has strong hands and is natural catching the ball. In the NFL, he is going to need to learn more routes and refine his technique as a route-runner. Moore ran a limited number of routes in college, but on the routes he did run, he executed them well.
The Panthers do not have much competition around Moore, and I wouldn’t be surprised if they make it a point to work the ball to him consistently as soon as his rookie season. Even if he doesn’t hit the ground running, I think he will emerge as a quality starter quickly in his NFL career.
2017: Curtis Samuel, WR
2016: Daryl Worley, CB
2015: Shaq Thompson, LB
2014: Trai Turner, G
2013: Kawann Short, DT
Most Likely To Bust
Rashaan Gaulden, S, Tennessee – Round 3 
Among the Panthers draft class, Gaulden stood out to me as a potential bust. He could be a safety/cornerback tweener who doesn’t find the right fit in the NFL. Carolina was very old at the safety position, so it would make more sense to try him out there to start his career.
Gaulden was a solid corner for Tennessee over the past two seasons. He totaled 65 tackles with five passes broken up, three forced fumbles and one interception in 2017. The previous year, Gaulden notched 68 tackles with four passes broken up.
Perhaps Carolina can develop Gaulden (6-1, 197) into a good safety, but that is a projection. His 4.61-second time in the 40-yard dash illustrates a concerning lack of agility to run with NFL speed receivers. Given a position change and him having issues running with pro wideouts, I think Gaulden has the most bust potential of Carolina’s early-round picks.
2017: Daeshon Hall, DE
2016: James Bradberry, DB
2015: Devin Funchess, WR
2014: Kelvin Benjamin, WR
2013: Edmund Kugbila, G
Potential Boom Pick
Donte Jackson, CB, LSU – Round 2 
The Panthers were in the market for more cornerback talent, and they were very fortunate that Jackson made it to their second-round pick. Some teams had Jackson graded as a late first-rounder, so he was excellent value for Carolina with the 55th-overall pick. He has rare attributes with upside to become a better player with NFL coaching.
Instantly in the NFL, Jackson is among the very fastest players in the league. He might be the fastest cornerback in the league in 2018. Jackson ran the 100 meters – around 110 yards – in 10.22 seconds, a tremendous time, and is a track star whose world-class speed translates to the football field. Jackson can use his great speed and agility to routinely blanket receivers. He is very capable to run the route to prevent separation and uses his instant acceleration to stay with receivers out of breaks. His burst and explosion give him excellent recoverability skills as well. Many teams in the NFL can struggle with super-fast wide receivers downfield and have to give cornerbacks help over the top. Jackson’s NFL team won’t have to worry about that as he is able to run with the deep speed receivers and keep them from getting open.
The most concerning negatives about Jackson (5-10, 178) are his height and weight. He is a short and light, so he should not be matched up with big receivers who could make catches over him. A lot of the time Jackson could be relegated to being a nickel, but he will also line up on the outside when taking on a speed receiver. Jackson is so fast that it can make him overly aggressive at times. He is a gambler who needs to get more disciplined for the NFL.
Sources from other teams said that Jackson was a real steal for Carolina, and one top cornerback evaluator told me that Jackson’s cover skills are similar to Janoris Jenkins’ coming out of college. Jackson should be even better in the NFL once he learns to be more disciplined and becomes less of a gambler. I think he has real boom potential for the Panthers.
2017: Christian McCaffrey, RB
2016: Vernon Butler, DT
2015: Daryl Williams, OL
2014: Kony Ealy, DE
2013: Star Lotulelei, DT
Future Depth Player
Ian Thomas, TE, Indiana – Round 4 
The Panthers have one of the league’s top tight ends in Greg Olsen, but the aging veteran can’t play forever and missed a lot of action last year with an injury. Thus, Carolina needed more receiving talent at tight end to back up Olsen and provide an outlet for Cam Newton. Ian Thomas was a good choice in the fourth round to be a backup tight end. The 6-foot-3, 256-pounder has good athleticism and quickness in a thick build. He may never develop into a three-down starter, but he could be a good contributor as a backup who is the second tight end in two-tight end sets. He was a quality selection by Marty Hurney to provide depth at an important position in the Panthers’ offense.
2017: Corn Elder, CB
2016: Zach Sanchez, CB
2015: Cameron Artis-Payne, RB
2014: Tre Boston, S
2013: Kenjon Barner, RB
Walt’s 2018 NFL Draft Grades:
24. D.J. Moore, WR, Maryland A Grade
I imagine there will be some publications who think D.J. Moore was taken too early, or that Calvin Ridley should have been the pick, but I can tell you this: One team in the teens had Moore as its No. 2 option. Moore could have gone about 8-12 selections earlier than this, so I think this is great value.
Moore definitely fills a huge need as well. The Panthers had no No. 1 receiver, thanks to the Kelvin Benjamin trade, and Moore certainly changes that.
55. Donte Jackson, CB, LSU A+ Grade
Wow, Donte Jackson is another player I forgot was on the board. Some people in the media had Jackson in the first round, but teams said they had high second-round grades on him. Jackson slipped a bit, so the Panthers are lucky to pick him up. Jackson, quite possibly the best slot cornerback in this class, will provide a big upgrade for Carolina’s pedestrian secondary.
85. Rashaan Gaulden, CB/S, Tennessee A Grade
Rashaan Gaulden is a very versatile player who should be able to help the Panthers’ atrocious secondary in some regard. I love the idea of picking Tennessee prospects because Butch Jones was such a horrible coach that he didn’t get anything out of his players. Gaulden is a second-round talent.
101. Ian Thomas, TE, Indiana A Grade
This is a great bargain, as Ian Thomas should’ve gone in the third round and maybe even could’ve snuck into the second frame. Thomas doesn’t have much production in college, but he has immense upside. By the time he’s ready to play, Greg Olsen will likely be retired.
136. Marquis Haynes, DE, Ole Miss B Grade
The Panthers traded up for a pass-rusher, which makes sense. They need some young blood on the edge, and Marquis Haynes makes sense in this range as a solid fourth-round prospect.
161. Jermaine Carter, LB, Maryland C Grade
Jermaine Carter tested very well in the lead up to the draft, running a 4.69. Still, he’s a raw player who probably should’ve been taken in the sixth round at the earliest. He can provide depth when Thomas Davis is serving his suspension.
234. Andre Smith, LB, North Carolina C+ Grade
Andre Smith made a poor decision by declaring early after an injury-ridden 2017 campaign. Smith has athleticism limitations and will only be a two-down run-stuffing linebacker in the very best case scenario. Smith is fortunate to be drafted.
242. Kendrick Norton, DT, Miami B+ Grade
Kendrick Norton had a few nice moments at Miami, but was a disappointment for the most part. He should have played better than he did, so perhaps Ron Rivera will be able to get the most out of him. I had Norton in the sixth round, so there’s some amount of value with this choice.
2018 NFL Draft Team Grade: A+ . Follow Walter @walterfootball for updates.
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