The Panthers hit a homer with their first pick of the 2007 NFL Draft.  Linebacker Jon Beason was outstanding as a rookie for the Panthers.  Beason played in 16 games (all starts) last season for the Panthers and he made 140 tackles, defensed 6 passes and he intercepted a pass.  This is just the tip of the iceberg for Beason as he might graduate to even higher levels of play in the near future.  The first of the 2nd round picks of the Panthers from USC was WR Dwayne Jarrett.  Jarrett played in 7 games (0 starts) for the Panthers last season and he caught 6 passes for 73 yards (12.2 avg) and he also carried the ball 1 time for 11 yards.  The Panthers cut Keyshawn Johnson because they had high hopes for Jarrett that never materialized.  The other 2nd round pick from USC for the Panthers was center Ryan Kalil.  Kalil played in 5 games (3 starts) as a rookie for the Panthers.  He might be a starter down the road for the Panthers but he has to play much better than he did last season.  DE Charles Johnson was the 3rd round pick of the Panthers last season and he played in 3 games (2 starts).  Johnson only made 2 tackles last season for the Panthers which was a huge disappointment.  WR/KR Ryne Robinson played in all 16 games (0 starts) for the Panthers last season and he only caught 4 passes for 35 yards (8.8 avg).  Robinson made his money on special teams for the Panthers last season.  He returned 26 kickoffs for 598 yards (23.0 avg) and he also returned 30 punts for 262 yards (8.7 avg).  5th round pick Dante Rosario (TE) has the potential to be a starter down the road.  Rosario played in 16 games (2 starts) for the Panthers last season and he caught 6 passes for 108 yards (18.0 avg) with 2 TD grabs.  The other 5th round pick for the Panthers last season was linebacker Tim Shaw.  Shaw played in 14 games (0 starts) for the Panthers last season and he finished with 14 tackles.  Cornerback C.J. Wilson was the final pick (7th round) of the Panthers last season.  He played in 4 games (0 starts) for the Panthers last season and Wilson finished with 5 tackles.

GRADE FOR THE 2008 SEASON:  C

GRADE FOR THE FUTURE:  C+

C.J. Wilson has played primarily safety in college but he probably could also handle CB.  He has a nice size/speed combo as he is 6′1″, 195 pounds and he runs a 4.5 40.  In 46 games (25 starts) at Baylor, Wilson made 139 tackles, 1 tackle for a loss, forced 2 fumbles, recovered 2 fumbles, broke up 14 passes and intercepted 9 passes (1 of which he returned for a TD).  Wilson also looks like a player that will help out the Panthers on special teams much like most of their Day #2 Draft choices.

The Panthers couldn’t pass up Tim Shaw when they saw him still on the board in the 5th round.  He has decent size at 6′1″, 235 pounds and he’s very fast as he can run a 4.5 40.  Shaw projects as a backup linebacker/special teams player but he could surprise.  He plays all-out all of the time and he could be a starter at some point in the future for the Panthers.  At Penn State, Shaw played in 46 games (32 starts) and he made 176 tackles, 16 tackles for a loss, had 12 sacks, broke up 14 passes and had 1 interception.  Shaw was an outstanding pick by the Panthers at this point in the Draft.

The Panthers haven’t used their TE in the passing game in a long, long time but that could be changing with the selection of Rosario.  Rosario has nice size at 6′2″, 242 and he’s just fast enough to be a threat (4.7 40) over the middle.  He has nice hands and is a good receiver.  But, he’s not much help in the running game as he’s not a good blocker.  In 49 games (26 starts) at Oregon, Rosario caught 94 passes for 1,003 yards (10.7 avg) with 11 TD grabs.  Rosario is also a really good special teams player who could wind up playing a big role on those units for the Panthers.

The Panthers were looking for playmakers in this draft and they got one in Robinson.  Robinson is a decent receiver and an excellent punt returner.  He’s a little small at 5′8″, 178 pounds but he’s very fast as he runs a 4.47 40.  In 50 games (29 starts) at Miami (OH), Robinson made 258 receptions for 3,697 yards (14.3 avg) with 22 TD grabs.  He also has run the ball 25 times for 122 yards (4.9 ypc).  But he’s been an outstanding return man.  He returned 121 punts in college for 1,677 yards (13.9 avg) with 7 TD returns.  He also has returned 8 kickoffs for 135 yards (16.9 avg).  Robinson was a good pick for the Panthers as he will make their special teams better from Day #1.