Cat Scratch Reader
The Panthers had five picks in Rounds 3-7, and Dan Morgan performed quite with his picks.
The Panthers hired Dan Morgan as president of football operations and general manager on January 22, 2024. Morgan is a Panthers “lifer” after spending his seven-year NFL career in Charlotte from 2001 through 2007 then spending years in the Panthers front office. Let’s take a look back on Morgan’s rookie season as GM. We’ve previously evaluated his performance with trades and with free agents.
Let’s now assess Morgan’s 2024 draft day performance. Part One focused on draft day trades and the first and second round picks, while Part Two will focus on players drafted in Rounds 3-7.
3rd round, No. 72 - LB Trevin Wallace
2024 Stats: 13 games (8 starts), 64 tackles, 1 sack, 2 TFLs, 2 forced fumbles
Third round picks often have quiet rookie years, but Trevin Wallace made an impact during his first NFL season. His 64 tackles ranked sixth on the team despite playing just 48 percent of the Panthers defensive snaps. Wallace’s PFF grade of 56.0 ranked him No. 138 of 189 linebackers, and that’s just fine for a third round rookie. For what it’s worth, PFF rated him pretty poorly on run support (46.9, No. 173 of 189) but gave him high grades defending the pass (64.2, No. 50 of 189).
Grade relative to expectations: B+
4th round, No. 101 - TE Ja’Tavion Sanders
2024 stats: 16 games (8 starts), 33 receptions, 342 yards, 1 TD
Finally! A Panthers tight end who looks like he may become a viable receiving threat!
Sanders hauled in 33 receptions on 43 targets as a rookie, giving him an impressive 76.7 catch percentage. Carolina has been pretty desperate for a viable receiving tight end since Greg Olsen left town, and it just might be Ja’Tavion Sanders. He went on a nice four-game run in the middle of the season with 16 receptions for 204 yards, averaging four receptions for 51 yards per game during that span. Here’s to hoping that becomes more of the norm going forward.
Sanders was No. 2 among rookie tight ends in receiving yards, trailing only superstar Brock Bowers, the No. 13 overall pick, with 1,194 yards.
Of the 156 players drafted after Sanders at No. 101, only one tight end or wide receiver exceeded his 342 receiving yards and that was Denver’s Devaughn Vele, a seventh-round wide receiver with 41 receptions for 475 yards.
That said, PFF somehow ranked Sanders No. 63 of 75 tight ends, but I simply don’t care. I know what I saw in Sanders’ rookie season, and that’s a young tight end who can become a viable receiving weapon for the Panthers.
Grade relative to expectations: A-
5th round, No. 157 - CB Chau Smith-Wade
2024 stats: 14 games (4 starts), 39 tackles, 1 interception, 1 pass defended
While most fifth round rookies mainly hope to make the 53 man roster and primarily contribute on special teams, Chau Smith-Wade started four games...
