IS IT JUST ME, or......

Is it just me or does anyone else feel sort of "Ho-Hummm" after the Draft?

Usually I'm excited about at least one or two picks, but other than Freeling, I'm more excited about some of our UDFA rookies than our draft picks.
Time will always tell, but I just don't feel like we "hit anything out of the park" this draft.
But I will say this;  DT Lee Hunter looks like Kawaan Short and plays like Chris Jenkins, if that counts for anything lol

Yeah ... I'm a little "out of sorts" about the whole thing. Disappointed really, I guess...

Overall, it wasn't a bad draft at all.  It's just that I watched some potential "difference makers" fall directly into our hands and we "passed" on them for some reason. But it's Dan's thinking/reasoning/opinion that matters. I will not complain too loudly.....

Here's what I think ... More or less.

#19 - Monroe Freeling - I think Freeling was a very good choice. I really 'wanted' an OT here so I'm happy. I actually believed that Freeling would be off the board and we would get Kaden Proctor. But Proctor went off instead leaving Freeling. So -- I was wrong and I'm still happy about it.!!

#49 - Lee Hunter - This one confused me (What's new..??). This reminded me of us trading uo a couple of spots to get XL... except there was no "silver lining" like the "5th Year Option". This trade UP (TWO (2) spots) cost us #159 for #196 (37 spots). WHY trade up two spots - Unless Dan KNEW that Hunter would be gone. ANYWAY, I suspected that we would take a D-Lineman, just not this early. I was 'hoping' for a DT maybe around 4th or 5th round. There were a couple of players that would have hit a "spot" for us. -- So I'm not terribly unhappy, just confused.

#83 - Chris Brazzell - Ho Hum - Yes, he's tall - good speed.  We'll see how he adapts to the NFL. This pick was slightly disappointing to me. He's a little taller than XL and just a smidgen faster (NOT MUCH, just a hundredth or two difference). XL is FAST too. Brazzell is pretty light, like 198-??. So he will take a lot of thrashing at his height (probably). This one didn't make a lot of sense to me. Disappointed

#129 - Will Lee - This one threw me. I figured we would take a DB (SAFETY) or maybe a CB early, like 2nd round. Not late in the 4th after a trade back. ... ??? So, we get a self-proclaimed "press man" CB, when the Panthers play Zone coverage almost exclusively..??? - And still NO Safety. ???  WTH... More disappointment.

#144 - Sam Hecht - This was a GOOD pickup. I expected an IOL about here and it worked out. Cannot complain about this one. Hecht was the second or third best Center/IOL in the draft. We needed some help on the inside and we got it.

#151 - Zakee Wheatley - Ho Hum - So we FINALLY take a Safety. Wheatley is not a particularly good tackler (misses quite a few tackles). Decent ball skills so will probably be OK in coverage although he doesn't have the speed to catch up when he gets beat.

#227 - Jackson Kuwatch - Hmmm. UNKNOWN. Kuwatch is probably a "project". He has prototypical size for a LB (6'4" - 235) and plays with heart and energy. He sees the field and flows to the ball. Unfortunately he has little experience. Walk on at Ohio State and never saw the field in two years. Had a good year in 2025 at Miami (Ohio). So with only one real year of experience -- Who knows.  I like him well enough, just unknown.


SO OVERALL --- I think Freeling, Hunter, and Hecht are solid picks and will probably help us. Brazzell MIGHT turn out OK although I'm a little worried about his height/weight ratio. Kuwatch has the 'measurables' as a LB but ...??? - who knows. We whiffed on Safety. And a questionable "press man" CB going into a zone scheme - SMH...  ---  NOW, I've already admitted that this ^^ means nothing and Dan knows EVERYTHING and I know NOTHING.

So, there's that.....