The NFL draft is filled with unfamiliar names, especially toward the later rounds. But I'm still not sure in 18 drafts that the Carolina Panthers have picked in an early round any player who is more obscure than Amini Silatolu, an offensive lineman for Midwestern State that they picked No.40 overall in the second round Friday night.
Did you know Division II Midwestern State was in Texas? Had you ever heard of it? Congrats if you have. I haven't, and I'm originally from Texas. (Turns out it's in Wichita Falls).
And offensive linemen, by design, are obscure unless they are being announced for holding calls.
But of course none of that matters. If a guy can play, he can play. Silatolu dominated Division II competition like Texas A&M-Commerce and West Texas A&M -- how many A&Ms are there, anyway?
He played left tackle in college but will compete at left guard to begin with, where the Panthers released Travelle Wharton in the offseason. Coach Ron Rivera said Silatolu is a "nasty finisher," capable of putting a lot of guys on their back. If you're an optimist, you may note that longtime Pro Bowl guard Larry Allen was also a D-II player.
Panther GM Marty Hurney is a proponent of drafting at least one offensive lineman every year and he generally does so -- Hurney believes that when your O-line goes sour you are generally dead in the water as an NFL team.
So here we go with Silatolu. It's a risk, for sure -- the Panthers are counting on Silatolu making an enormous leap from Division II ball into the NFL. But they thought it was worth taking. They used one of their 30 allowed "come-to-Charlotte" visits on Silatolu.
Now they will try to trade into the third round. Rivera laughingly put pressure on Hurney several times during a Friday night press conference to "work his magic" -- the Panthers currently don't have a third-round pick.
We're moving!
9 years ago
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49 comments:
this was a fantastic pick, i know most fans will absolutely disagree, the draft is about big picture, the panthers of the next decade.
love this draft class.
I am From Wichita Falls Texas that's where Midwestern State is. Silatolu is a BEAST.
Could have drafted him in the 4th round. Why in the world use a 2nd round pick on someone no one else would have drafted?
This was an opportunity to move down and pick up an extra pick. This kid might become a stud, but the Panthers could have picked him up much later and used the extra pick to get back into the third round.
as somoe one who went to HS in wichita falls, i knew where it was... that said... what a INSANE PICK!!!!
we have no defense and he picks an OFFENSIVE LINEMEN????
INSANE.....
I never heard of him nor his college. Midwestern State? Lol, sounds like something out of a movie.
That said, I loved the tape they showed of this kid on ESPN. Yeah it's DII, but he was crushing people. How do you all know he would have been available in the 4th or 5th round? If the guy you want is there, you gotta forget what these so-called draft experts say and take the guy. Hope he works out.
Why offensive line. What about d line. Cmon man! How many points do you need to score. Defense defense defense . Its the defense stupid.
I absolutely agree to pass on Stephen Hill at 6 feet 4 and ran a blazing 4.3 in the combine is absolutely in horrible . NO ONE WOULD HAVE DRAFTED THIS GUY BEFORE THE 4 TH ROUND MAYBE
They don't have a number 2 reciever and won't get onew worht anything now
Another Marty Hurney pick. This man is hell bent on making sure the Panthers never get anywhere... Why not just pick a punter as long as your wasting picks. I think he just feels sorry for players going to division II schools.
I just knew we'd take Devon Still with this pick. Hurney what are you doing?
Somebody in Panthers organization is really hard headed
The scouts saw something they liked. They don't have a third. Lets hope it was the right more. Not a sexy pick but few O linemen are.
I like finding a diamond in the rough as much as the next guy but, I agree get him later than this.
He does fill a hole, Wharton gone! He does look good against mediocre talent. However, Larry Allen also came from a small school like this. Hope he plays like him....LOL
It has been interesting
Scott...most scouting boards have this guy rated in the early 2nd round....I believe he will turn out to be a very good pick
Jerel Worthy...was sitting there. Why, in the world would you go with a Offensive Lineman...when defense is in need of the most help?
Hurney will trade 2 1st round picks to move into the 3rd round.
Why not Cordy Glenn out of Georgia if they needed an OLineman in the 2nd. I suppose they're still deluded in the view that Armanti Edwards will still work out, which fueled their boldness here.
I like these Samoan and Tonga players..generally nasty dispositions on the field!
A lot of mock drafts had him going first round.
SPEECHLESS (in a BAD way)
Most of the comments on this post seem pretty misinformed... just because you had never heard of the guy you assume he would have been available later?
The notion that he would have been available in the fourth round is just plain wrong. McShay had him listed as the #40 overall prospect. Kiper had him as the #5 guard. This was a top prospect.
And offensive line IS a need, especially after releasing Wharton. Plus, do people forget we spent two third round picks on defensive tackles last year? Our d-line is young, but its not untalented.
haha, I suppose all the future GM's posting here didn't see how many OL went off the board after him, no way he would've made it to round 3 where we don't have a pick. It was a good pick, he looks like an animal and is extremely athletic. My guess is you'll be loving him one day, OL while not a flashy position, one of the most important in football. Good pick guys!
People who think we could have drafted him in the fourth round are just wrong. espn has him 40th overall which is exactly where we took him, and Kiper projected him mid-second today. Even if you havent heard of a guy it doesn't mean the actual professionals don't know who he is. They needed to replace Wharton.
Never in Panthers history has so much excitement and anticipation been squandered so quickly.
Bernadeau was a pretty obscure choice a few years ago, first NFL player ever from his school, but he was a 7th rounder. And for his draft position it wasn't a bad choice. He made the roster and contributed when others went down. But for a 2nd round pick, we're counting on Silatolu to be a solid starter for years. So, two lineman from obscure schools, but really it's apples and oranges.
For the record, I wanted Alshon Jeffery or Jerel Worthy. But I suppose Hurney and Rivera are counting on forgotten men David Gettis and Ron Edwards to patch up our holes at WR and DT. Oh well, I won't pretend to know better than them.
The jury is obviously out on this guy -- But Cam Newton makes an O-line better because of his evasiveness. We obviously can make do with an average line. What the panthers can't make do with is an awful defense. Teams will continue to hang 40 pts on us weekly. But we have a good line. Ugh.
If anyone was wondering why there's never been back to back winning seasons.....
D-line young?? This is not basketball...... You get 2 to 3 years to show production and the only one that showed any flashes is McClain. Fua showed he can get into the backfield when the opposing runs a screen to his side.
They may not have had plans for Stewart before the draft, but there is no way that is not the case now!
Hurney has heard the cries and has went with all the safe picks, to get fans off his back! GENIUS Foxie is not here now to take part of the blame!
Oh yeah give Hurney credit for Cam, Who the hell else was he going to draft?
Hurney is god awful face it.
Hey, the better the protection, the more Cam will dazzel the crowd and indeed with the experience he has now, this should happen this year more so than last. Gotta have good protection and gotta have a running game and gotta keep the big O on the feild as much as possible to keep the big D rested. Clausen didnt provide that, Cam did and our D played alil bit better but not much.
Their should be a good DT later in the draft that will do ok and we also have free agency and 2 DT from last years draft coming back ad surely to goodness they'll be stronger, faster, and better than last year. We'll be ok. Good pick Hurney.
Yeah you better show something your Rookie year, not year 2,3 or 4, otherwise NFL!
Hurney decide he was not going to do one of his let's Mortgage next year to get something this year and with his can't miss picks this draft.... SO he redeems himself, HELL no! Terrible! So if TD and Beason are healthy this year who is going to sit? Anderson, or we will just have depth for the rotation! Is that it?
You telling me we could not have picked up an O-lineman later, ecspecially when Defense was the weak area!
Yeah Scott,
thanks for your input, guess all the other guys emplyed by The CO are on "Bankers Hours". Guess "Mike P." is ok with that. And Newspapers are going out of business more than Not!
Great job Scott!
what a joke of an organization!!!
football is not a popularity contest. Just because he is not a well known player doesn't make him a bad pick. If you are going to constantly criticize this organization, do us all a favor and find a new team to watch.
I don't know anything about the "beast" but the panthers have been so irresponsible with these picks. Hurney makes my blood pressure go sky high in every draft... Thank god we have cam to entertain us...by the way you got lucky with that pick Hurney
Midwestern State is also the alma mater of Dominic Rhodes, who was the real MVP when Indy won the Super Bowl and had an above average career. My wife graduated from there. It was home to Dallas Cowboys training camp in the late 90's. You guys got a GREAT pick. A lot of NFL guys have been popping up watching this guys since last year. Trust me when I say he ain't no unknown tothe NFL guys, they have been keeping tabs on him. Midwestern actualy had something akin to a pro day because so many people showed up to see him this spring.
Great pick! Good thing we still have Kris Jenkins and Brentson Buckner on the D-Line otherwise we'd continue to let up 125 yds/game rushing! We now have 5 linebackers and 0 D tackles. Good start. Cam's gotta put up 35 pts a game.
To those shocked, he was ranked from 40-50 in most mocks. I think scouts in the industry know more than scott and the idiot upset fans, where u play is irrelevant.
too bad we can't draft a new general manager
i am still scratching my head on this pick. love the pick of kuechly in the first round. excellent move. he is going to be an instant impact player on defense, but the second round pick of silatolu was horrible in my opinion. no i am not a talent evaluator, but it doesn't take a genius to see we had way more pressing needs than a OL at that pick. we still need a DE,DT,WR,and a CB. to me this was a wasted pick. he may be an excellent player eventually, but there were better players available at that pick...in particular reuben randle. hurney always says he takes the best player available, but yet he whiffed on this one.steve smith will not be around forever.Randle was said by alot of scouts to have No.1 receiver ability. he would have been a great No.2 with smith next year, and eventually been No.1 when smith is gone. LaFell has only been decent so far, and gettis is injury prone (as is 3/4 of the team is it seems every single year..really gets old). I think randle would have made an immediate impact. the only other player i would have considered would have been Devon Still, but if you are drafting on the best player available basis it had to be randle.hurney screwed up YET AGAIN in the second round (CLAP CLAP CLAP CLAP).
how can it be considered a good pick when after the first two rounds of the draft you still have the exact same needs as you did when the draft started. they are called 'areas of need' for a reason. that means if a potential impact player is available at one of those positions then logic would dictate YOU DRAFT THAT PLAYER!!!! you don't waste a second round pick on a player who dominated at a DIVISION 2 SCHOOL that he SHOULD have dominated at. that is one hell of a long way from the NFL. when is hurney going to get it.... oh wait NEVER!!!!!!! his second round list of picks with the panthers is an impressive collection of futility and failures. he is completely inept. we had better hope he has a good last half of the draft to make up for this pick, but don't hold your breath. WHAT AN IDIOT!!!
You idiots have no clue about football. Watch some film on this guy. He has quick feet, he pulls well and he is explosive. He can take two guys at once and gets a lot of pancakes. DT is a position that was deep in this draft, the draft isn't over. Silatolu is a great pick, especially when the Rams swooped in on Jenorice Jenkins right in front of us.
He might be good. I hope he's good. But, this reeks of Hurney falling in love with a player the way he did with Armani. You just cant get tunnel vision in the draft.
Two words: fire Hurney.
This pick reeks of an ego pick. The "I'm smarter than the other guy." He may end up being good, but you don't reach and take projects early in the SECOND round. It's paid off brilliantly in the past with guys like Everette Brown and Armani Edwards.
FIRE HURNEY!
dude it is not hard to pancake guys and look explosive when you are his size playing against division 2 competition. would he have done that in the sec against alabama,LSU, and the likes? i highly doubt it. if he had done that playing against division 1 teams then HELL yeah draft his azz!!! as for Janoris(?)Jenkins i don't think that was ever a possibility. do you really think hurney or rivera either for that matter was going to risk drafting a player with his baggage and history? would you have taken that chance given the opportunity? to big of a risk. the fact that the rams took him one spot ahead of us had zero effect on the fact that we took Larry Allen the second.... wait i mean silatolu.
The Panthers take who THEY want, not who WE want. Imagine if they let us pick, the Panthers would have 15 DT's 10 WR's and 12 CB's on there roster lol. WE would not know a thing about any of these players aside from about 10 from MAJOR schools. You people do not know JACK about JACK, neither do I. Thats why they dont let us pick. They have been watching these players for months now, you only know what those idiots on ESPN (Mel Kiper Jr., Todd Mcshay) tell you about them. So STOP bitching, sit back, and get your popcorn ready. I'm sure thats why THEY get paid to do it, and WE play "Franchise Mode" on Madden too much and think WE know how run the show. Get another team if you dont like it. GO PANTHERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
do you people realize that if you keep telling people to 'get another team' that too many of them may actually take your advice and actually do that? i'm sure the panthers or any other team for that matter probably don't want their own fans telling other fans to 'get another team'. everybody is going to be upset about their particular team at some point if you are interested in that teams success, but usually it blows over and they get over it. The last thing the organization or the fans for that matter want is to lose support. If people are upset let them voice their opinion and vent. get it over with and move on,but don't tell them to 'get another team. i do think that MAYBE this team is moving in the right direction ,and WE as FANS of the TEAM need to support them.
I have to admit i am not a fan of the panthers second round pick of silatolu. i think it was wasted pick,but i think they made up for it in a big way. Obviously only time will tell,but i think they got some real players in Alexander,Adams,and Norman. Adams is a big time punt returner that have an instant impact in the kicking game right away, and maybe play some at receiver in 3 and 4 receiver sets next season. Norman i think is the real intriguing pick at CB. I think he can help at the very least in the nickel sets,and possibly even start opposite of Gamble. He has a reputation as a ballhawk as he had i think 13 int's in college. They also got a punter to replace Baker. I think they had a really good last day of the draft filling their needs with some interesting players.It will be interesting to see how much they contribute this coming season, but i think they have some real impact players in this draft.
Hell, 1/2 to 3/4 of Panthers fans were either, Redskins or Cowboys fans at one point anyway. I'm a true fan, from day one. I've never pulled for another team other than the Panthers. It's just the draft, FOR HIGH PAID FOOTBALL PLAYERS. They aren't paying me jack. so why should I get bent out of shape when they pick a player I have not heard of? I shouldn't, so why should you or anyone else? Now if I were a Packers fan and lived in Green Bay, I would probably be a little pissed since the tax payers pay for the team. So don't hate on what the Panthers are trying to do, just sit back and get your popcorn ready. It's going to be a great year, I can feel it. I would be more worried about my bills or something life related. Don't be upset over a game, everything is going to be okay. Oh, if a Panthers fan changes teams because I told them to, they wouldn't be much of a Panthers fan would they, and why would they listen to me, unless they were a TOTAL moron? lol.
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