The Carolina Panthers drafted wide receiver DJ Moore with their 24th overall pick in the NFL Draft. In doing so, they may have just found the true heir apparent to team legend Steve Smith. That’s according to Smith himself, who gave his full endorsement of the pick.
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That’s certainly high praise coming from Smith, who holds just about every relevant receiving record in the young franchise’s history. Since his departure from the team in 2013, the Panthers have drafted the likes of Kelvin Benjamin, Devin Funchess, and Curtis Samuel to fill the void he left on the receiving corps, but none of them has had quite the same impact.
If Smith’s effusive praise is anything to go by, Moore could finally be the one to deliver that same type of grit and production. The 21-year-old had an excellent junior year for Maryland in 2017, racking up 80 catches for 1,033 yards and eight touchdowns.
Moore now joins a Panthers receiving corps in desperate need of his services. Funchess had a promising year with 840 yards and eight touchdowns, but the team didn’t have a capable No. 2 option out wide after they traded away Kelvin Benjamin. Russell Shepard was the second-leading wide receiver with 17 catches for 202 yards as second-round pick Samuel was plagued by injuries.
If Samuel can finally stay healthy for the upcoming season, Cam Newton could have an interesting set of weapons at his disposal with Moore, Funchess, Torrey Smith, running back Christian McCaffrey, and veteran tight end Greg Olsen, who just signed a new extension.
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