NFL draft live updates Round 2: Each pick, Carolina Panthers big board, top players left
The Carolina Panthers selected Derrick Brown, a six-foot-five, 317-pound defensive lineman from Auburn, with its seventh overall pick in the first round of the NFL draft on Friday. The first night of the highly-anticipated evening went smoothly despite speculation about technical difficulties impeding the virtual draft.
That allowed us to focus on the highlights, which included:
-Wide receiver CeeDee Lamb to the Cowboys: Dallas went with the receiver from Oklahoma with its 17th pick. The Cowboys’ offense is looking tough to beat with Lamb joining standout wide receivers Amari Cooper and Michael Gallup.
-The Packers plan ahead: Utah State QB Jordan Love was Green Bay’s first round pick (26th overall), indicating something about the direction of the team: rather than surrounding quarterback Aaron Rodgers with talent now, Green Bay appears to be building for the future.
-Isaiah Simmons gets snapped up by the Cardinals: The linebacker was a potential prospect for the Panthers, and according to many fans, should have been Carolina’s guy. Just after the Panthers selected Brown, Simmons went off the board as Arizona’s No. 8 pick.
In the NFC South:
-Tampa Bay lands offensive tackle Tristan Wirfs: The Buccaneers are quickly emerging as a dominant division rival after acquiring tight end Rob Gronkowski earlier in the week, and landing Wirfs to protect quarterback Tom Brady on the o-line.
-Clemson’s A.J. Terrell goes to Atlanta: This was another bit of a blow for Carolina since the CB could have been used to help the the Panthers struggling secondary. The Falcons lost CB Desmond Trufant during the off-season, so Terrell will fill that gap.
-The Saints get big man Cesar Ruiz: The six-foot-four, 320-pound center from Michigan was drafted by New Orleans as the team’s 24th overall pick. He’ll offer solid protection for quarterback Drew Brees as either a guard or center, and while that’s not great for Carolina, you can still appreciate his reaction.
For more from Round 1, check out last night’s live draft coverage.
For tonight:
The Observer has identified prospective cornerbacks we think the Panthers should draft with their 38th overall pick in Round 2. Among those names are Utah’s Jaylon Johnson, LSU’s Kristian Fulton and Alabama’s Trevon Diggs. Carolina has the 69th overall pick in Round 3, and could use support in the linebacker, safety, wide receiver and offensive guard positions. The Observer has identified defensive lineman James Lynch (Baylor), offensive lineman Matt Hennessy (Temple) and cornerback Cameron Dantzler (Mississippi State) as promising choices. For a full breakdown of who we’d like to see come off the board for Carolina tonight, click here.
More NFL draft reading
+ Fowler: Nothing sexy about the Panthers drafting Derrick Brown, but he’s exactly what they need
+ DeCock: We were sold on the Panthers being innovative with Matt Rhule. So why draft Derrick Brown?
+ Pick is in! Panthers take Derrick Brown from Auburn
+ Derrick Brown scouting report: He’s a clear Day 1 starter
Live NFL draft updates
12:03 a.m., Closing Remarks: NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell gets up from his “comfy chair” to wish football fans goodnight. From us at The Observer, as well, have a good night, dear readers. Let’s do it again tomorrow.
12:01 a.m., Round 3, Pick 106 (Baltimore Ravens) Mississippi G Tyre Phillips: The Ravens add depth to the o-line. Phillips, who allowed only two sacks last year, is the SEC’s 40th draft pick so far.
11:59 p.m., Round 3, Pick 105 (New Orleans Saints) Dayton TE Adam Trautman: ESPN analysts tout Trautman’s abilities. The physical tight end perhaps did not receive as much hype as he deserved heading into the draft, but he lands with the Saints in Round 3.
11:55 p.m., Round 3, Pick 104 (Las Angeles Rams) Utah S Terrell Burgess: The Rams will likely use Burgess as a nickel cornerback, although he played safety in college. He is described by analysts as a physical hitter and tackler.
11:53 p.m., Round 3, Pick 103 (Philadelphia Eagles) Colorado LB Davion Taylor: Taylor is considered raw, but also fast, athletic and versatile. His statistics weren’t great at Colorado, but he’s appears to be a promising pick to boost the Eagles’ defensive line.
11:51 p.m., Round 3, Pick 102 (Pittsburgh Steelers) Charlotte LB Alex Highsmith: The linebacker had a career 20 sacks, the most in Charlotte school history.
11:49 p.m., Round 3, Pick 101 (New England Patriots) Virginia Tech TE Dalton Keene: The Jets trade with the Patriots, who select TE Keene.
11:42 p.m., Round 3, Pick 100 (Las Vegas Raiders) Clemson DB/LB Tanner Muse: This is another Clemson pickup by the Raiders, who snagged wide receiver Hunter Renfrow during the 2019 Draft.
11:40 p.m., Round 3, Pick 99 (New York Giants) UConn OT Matt Peart: Peart is described as a developmental tackle with long arms by ESPN analysts, but he could use work refining his technique.
11:38 p.m., Round 3, Pick 98 (Baltimore Ravens) Ohio State ILB Malik Harrison: Harrison is an athletic linebacker, the second LB selected by the Ravens in this year’s draft.
11:34 p.m., Round 3, Pick 97 (Cleveland Browns) LSU LB Jacob Phillips: This is a playmaker who can learn the zone coverage with the Browns. This is the 10th player selected from LSU.
11:32 p.m., Round 3, Pick 96 (Kansas City Chiefs) TCU OT Lucas Niang: A developmental offensive tackle, Niang is expected to grow under coach Andy Reid.
11:29 p.m., Round 3, Pick 95 (Denver Broncos) Arkansas DT McTelvin Agim: The defensive tackle had six forced fumbles and 31 tackles for loss. A decent pickup.
11:25 p.m., Round 3, Pick 94 (Green Bay Packers) Cincinnati TE Josiah Deguara: Here’s another option for quarterback Aaron Rodgers following their Round 2 selection of running back AJ Dillon.
11:21 p.m., Round 3, Pick 93 (Tennessee Titans) Appalachian State RB Darrynton Evans: This running back is known for his speed and ability to make big runs.
11:15 p.m., Round 3, Pick 92 (Baltimore Ravens) Texas WR Devin Duvernay: The Ravens give quarterback Lamar Jackson another offensive weapon in speedster Duvernay.
11:11 p.m., Round 3, Pick 91 (New England Patriots) UCLA TE Devin Asiasi: The Raiders trade their pick to the Patriots. The Pats go with a tight end from the Pac-12 rather than a quarterback.
11:08 p.m., Round 3, Pick 90 (Texas Texans) Flordia EDGE Jon Greenard: This could have been a potential edge pick for the Panthers, but they’ve still got Baylor’s James Lynch on the board to fill that spot. Greenard makes the plays, but needs to work on his speed.
11:06 p.m., Round 3, Pick 89 (Minnesota Vikings) Mississippi State CB Cameron Dantzler: The Vikings take Dantzler off the big board for the Panthers, so it’ll be interesting to see if they stick with a cornerback in the next round or instead try to fill needs with a linebacker or edge.
11:03 p.m., Round 3, Pick 88 (Cleveland Browns) Missouri DT Jordan Elliott: The defensive lineman has a lot of potential, which has remained somewhat untapped.
10:54 p.m., Round 3, Pick 87 (New England Patriots) Alabama OLB Anfernee Jennings: No surprise, Bill Belichick goes with another versatile linebacker from Alabama. But how will Belichick decide to use Jennings? The OLB is the ninth player from Alabama to go so far, so the school is now tied with LSU for most players selected at this point.
10:52 p.m., Round 3, Pick 86 (Buffalo Bills) Utah RB Zack Moss: Moss is a physical runner with a low center of gravity, and as a running back, was a pick the Bills can use.
10:50 p.m., Round 3, Pick 85 (Indianapolis Colts) Utah S Julian Blackmon: Another Pac-12 guy joins Pittman Jr. at the Colts. Blackmon tore his ACL last season, potentially knocking him down, but he still put up good numbers last season.
10:46 p.m., Round 3, Pick 84 (Los Angeles Rams) Alabama LB Terrell Lewis: An injury-ridden Lewis was still a prospect for the Panthers, and he gets knocked off the big board.
10:44 p.m., Round 3, Pick 83 (Denver Broncos) LSU OG Lloyd Cushenberry II: Was a touchstone for LSU last season and a solid pick for Denver.
10:38 p.m., Round 3, Pick 82 (Dallas Cowboys) Oklahoma DT Neville Gallimore: The tackle is known for his strength, ability to fend off blockers and speed up the field.
10:37 p.m., Round 3, Pick 81 (Las Vegas Raiders) South Carolina WR Bryan Edwards: The Raiders go with back-to-back receivers, knocking off at least one potenial pick for the Panthers.
10:35 p.m., Round 3, Pick 80 (Las Vegas Raiders) Kentucky WR Lynn Bowden Jr.: This is a versatile player who’s solid in the slot. Although he played multiple positions in college, including quarterback, he’ll likely play wide receiver in the NFL.
10:30 p.m., Round 3, Pick 79 (New York Jets) Florida DE Jabari Zuniga: Interestingly, the Jets went with Zuniga over other edges, but he’s known for his quick reflexes and can help the d-line.
10:25 p.m., Round 3, Pick 78 (Atlanta Falcons) Temple OL Matt Hennessy: This was a guy potentially under consideration for Carolina since Matt Rhule worked with him at Temple. He’s off the big board for the Panthers.
10:22 p.m., Round 3, Pick 77 (Denver Broncos) Iowa CB Michael Ojemudia: As more cornerbacks go, Ojemudia could have been a name under consideration for the Panthers. He’s got long arms, a high vertical and some speed, so he’ll be formidable for the Broncos.
10:17 p.m., Round 3, Pick 76 (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) Vanderbilt RB Ke’Shawn Vaughn: This pick is clearly aimed at bolstering the Bucs running game, so it’s good the Panthers have been highlighting defense this draft.
10:15 p.m., Round 3, Pick 75 (Detroit Lions) Ohio State G Jonah Jackson: A decent pass blocker, Jackson should be able to work his way into the Lions’ starting lineup, potentially as early as next season.
10:12 p.m., Round 3, Pick 74 (Saint Louis Saints) Wisconsin LB Zack Baun: This is a player the Panthers can knock off their big board. It’s a bit surprising he went this late, but the linebacker is a good pick for the Saints.
10:10 p.m., Round 3, Pick 73 (Jacksonville Jaguars) Ohio State DT Davon Hamilton: Considered a second round pick for some analysts, Hamilton is known for pushing the pocket.
10:04 p.m., Round 3, Pick 72 (Arizona Cardinals) Houston OT Josh Jones: Jones had 45 career starts at Houston and could be used at right tackle for the Cardinals.
9:58 p.m., Round 3, Pick 71 (Baltimore Ravens) Texas A&M DT Justin Madubuike: A bit inconsistent, but promising seems to be the analysis for Madubuike. We’ll see what Baltimore can do with him.
9:54 p.m., Round 3, Pick 70 (Miami Dolphins) Texas DB Brandon Jones: Very versatile defensive back who was a three-year starter at Texas. Made plays at the line of scrimmage on numerous occasions for the Longhorns.
9:51 p.m., Round 3, Pick 69 (Seattle Seahawks) LSU G Damien Lewis: A power guard, Lewis should be able to help Seattle with pass protection.
9:49 p.m., Round 3, Pick 68 (New York Jets) Cal S Ashtyn Davis: The Jets landed Mims first, and now have lucked out with Davis. The safety has good range and ability to cover the slot.
9:47, Round 3, Pick 67 (Detroit Lions) Notre Dame OLB Julian Okwara: Okwara needs work on his pass rushing, but he’s steady on the edge. This is a good pickup for the Lions and takes him off the Panthers big board.
9:43 p.m., Round 3, Pick 66 (Washington Redskins) Memphis WR Antonio Gibson: This receiver is able to play multiple positions and should help the struggling Redskins’ offense.
9:41 p.m., Round 3, Pick 65 (Cincinnati Bengals) Wyoming ILB Logan Wilson: Round 3 is underway and Wilson is considered a strong pick for the Bengals.
9:38 p.m., Round 2, Pick 64 (Carolina Panthers) Southern Illinois S Jeremy Chinn: The Panthers trade up to the 64th spot (originally 69th pick). This is Carolina’s first trade this year and the team’s third defensive selection. Read more about Chinn and the move here.
9:30 p.m., Round 2, Pick 63 (Kansas City Chiefs) Mississippi State ILB Willie Gay Jr.: The Chiefs locked in running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire with their first round pick last night. The Super Bowl Champions went with a pick to bolster their coverage with the speedy Gay Jr. tonight.
9:27 p.m., Round 2, Pick 62 (Green Bay Packers) Boston College RB AJ Dillon: The Packers needed an offensive guy here and will make quarterback Aaron Rogers happy with their skill position player pick in AJ Dillon.
9:23 p.m., Round 2, Pick 61 (Tennessee Titans) LSU CB Kristian Fulton: The corner comes off the Panthers’ potential go-list. He’s considered among the best corners in this draft class.
9:17 p.m., Round 2, Pick 60 (New England Patriots) Michigan OLB Josh Uche: The Patriots gets a versatile lineman in Uche, not a completely surprising pick for New England, which typically looks for players it can mold into multiple spots.
9:13 p.m., Round 2, Pick 59 (New York Jets) Baylor WR Denzel Mims: Mims is knocked off the Panthers’ big board by the Jets, who will utilize him paired up with quarterback Sam Darnold. Seems fair enough that New York gets him since they lost receiver Robby Anderson to the Panthers earlier this year.
9:05 p.m., Round 2, Pick 58 (Minnesota Vikings) Boise State OT Ezra Cleveland: Analysts view this as a solid pick for Minnesota, which could use Cleveland’s athleticism and raw talent on the o-line.
9:02 p.m., Round 2, Pick 57 (Los Angeles Rams) Florida WR Van Jefferson: Los Angeles could have used defensive support here, but they went with a wide receiver. Jefferson is considered creative and a strong route-runner. He is the 12th wide receiver selected so far in the first and second rounds, tied with the most in recent history in 2014.
8:58 p.m., Round 2, Pick 56 (Miami Dolphins) Alabama DT Raekwon Davis: The tackle came through a disciplined Alabama defense, but needs work on pass-rushing, per ESPN analysts.
8:54 p.m., Round 2, Pick 55 (Baltimore Ravens) The Ohio State Univeristy RB J.K. Dobbins: The running back had a monster second half of the season at Ohio State last year. He rushed for over 2,000 yards and 21 touchdowns at OSU, and felt like a guy to watch this draft. Combined with the athleticism of quarterback Lamar Jackson, Baltimore could have a pretty explosive running game.
8:46 p.m., Round 2, Pick 54 (Buffalo Bills) Iowa DE AJ Epenesa: Epenesa joins an already stacked Buffalo defense and is expected to produce a handful of sacks. He was especially effective on the inside at Iowa, according to ESPN analysts.
8:41 p.m., Round 2, Pick 53 (Philadelphia ) Oklahoma QB Jalen Hurts: The question of tonight was, “Where will Jalen Hurts end up?” That question has been answered somewhat surprisingly. The Eagles will likely uses Hurts as a backup to quarterback Carson Wentz.
8:39 p.m., Round 2, Pick 52 (Los Angeles Rams) Florida State RB Cam Akers: A quick route-runner, Akers will attempt to fill the gap left by from Rams running back Todd Gurley.
8:36 p.m., Round 2, Pick 51 (Dallas Cowboys) Alabama CB Trevon Diggs: The Cowboys have now landed two players that Carolina could have used after wide receiver CeeDee Lamb. Diggs and Lamb should make a solid pair for the 2020 Draft class.
8:28 p.m., Round 2, Pick 50 (Chicago Bears) Utah CB Jaylon Johnson: The Bears landed a strong cornerback in Johnson, who is now off the board for the Panthers. A shoulder injury likely kept Johnson from getting selected earlier.
8:26 p.m., Round 2, Pick 49 (Pittsburgh Steelers) Notre Dame WR Chase Claypool: The six-foot-four, 238-pound Claypool is expected to expand on Pittsburgh’s receiving group. He ran 4.42 second 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine. Some predicted the Steelers to pick up running back J.K. Dobbins here, but they went with a receiver to work with quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.
8:22 p.m. Round 2, Pick 48 (Seattle Seahawks) Tennessee DE Darrell Taylor: The Jets trade their pick with the Seahawks for No. 59 and No. 101 selections. This is solid, somewhat predictable pick for Seattle, which needs rushing help.
8:18 p.m., Round 2, Pick 47 (Atlanta Falcons) Auburn DE Marlon Davidson: A solid rushing presence and the six-foot-three, 303-pound Davidson was a four-year starter at Auburn.
8:12 p.m., Round 2, Pick 46 (Denver Broncos) Penn State WR KJ Hamler: The Broncos go with another wide receiver after selecting Jerry Jeudy in the first round. Hamler needs to work on his catching ability, but still made big plays at Penn State. The Broncos are working on something...
8:10 p.m., Round 2, Pick 45 (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) Minnesota S Antoine Winfield: Another safety! Winfield is expected to add to a solid middle core for the Bucs with his versatility.
8:06 p.m., Round 2, Pick 44 (Cleveland Browns) LSU S Grant Delpit: Delpit has good hands and anticipation. He picked off eight passes at LSU and has been compared to New York Jets safety Jamal Adams by analysts.
8:04 p.m., Commercial Break and Trivia Time: Anyone? Someone help Alaina out.
8:00 p.m., Round 2, Pick 43 (Chicago Bears) Notre Dame TE Cole Kmet: The Bears go with a tight end. Kmet had a 123-inch broad jump and a 4.7 second 40-yard dash in the NFL Combine. He has been compared to Los Angles Rams tight end Tyler Higbee.
7:55 p.m., Round 2, Pick 42 (Jacksonville Jaguars) Colorado WR Laviska Shenault: The wide receiver is described as “a big play waiting to happen” by ESPN analysts. He was recruited by Alabama and LSU before committing to Colorado.
7:48 p.m., Round 2, Pick 41 (Indianapolis Colts) Wisconsin RB Jonathan Taylor: The Browns trade their pick with the Colts for the No. 44 and No. 160 slots. The Steelers were hoping to snag Taylor, according to CBS Sports, but they could still go with running back J.K. Dobbins instead.
7:45 p.m., Round 2, Pick 40 (Houston Texans) TCU DT Ross Blacklock: A tall defensive tackle at six-foot-three, 305-pounds, Blacklock should be a solid choice for the Texans.
7:42 p.m., Round 2, Pick 39 (Miami Dolphins) Lousiana G Robert Hunt: The Dolphins could use Hunt’s flexibility at either the right tackle or guard positions. He joins qaurterback Tua Tagovailoa and offensive tackle. Austin Jackson.
7:35 p.m., Round 2, Pick 38 (Carolina Panthers) Penn State DE Yetur Gross-Matos: Carolina goes with another defensive player tonight. Gross-Matos delivered a powerful tackle at Penn State, and paired with Derrick Brown, this bodes well for the Panthers defense, which is in serious need of rebuilding.
7:33 p.m., Round 2, Pick 37 (New England Patriots) Lenoir-Rhyne S Kyle Dugger: This was star Division II player at Lenior-Rhyne who the Panthers also could have used.
7:31 p.m., Round 2, Pick 36 (New York Giants) Alabama S Xavier McKinney: The safety was an instinctual playmaker at Alabama.
7:24 p.m., Round 2, Pick 35 (Detroit Lions) Georgia RB D’Andre Swift: Swift is considered a “third down” runner by some analysts, and is a skilled all-around player in terms of catching, running and blocking.
7:20 p.m., Round 2, Pick 34 (Indianapolis Colts) Southern California WR Michael Pittman Jr.: The Colts knew exactly who they wanted, immediately putting in their pick. Pittman Jr. had over 100 catches at USC and was a weapon for the Trojans that other teams in the PAC-12 had to double-team.
7:17 p.m., Round 2, Pick 33 (Cincinnati Bengals) Clemson WR Tee Higgins: Many ESPN analysts said a wide receiver or offensive lineman was the move here to compliment yesterday’s No. 1 overall pick quarterback Joe Burrow. The Bengals went after exactly that with Higgins, a standout at Clemson with a strong ability to track the ball.
7:08 p.m. Pre-Draft: NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell gives the opening statement. He says the NFL will match every dollar donated by fans the Draft-A-Thon COVID-19 relief fund. Donations can be made at nfl.com/relief.
6:54 p.m. Pre-Draft: Everyone is talking about Kliff Kingsbury’s mansion shot from last night. Major flex.
6:33 p.m. Pre-Draft: Steelers wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster tweeted some advice for the college players waiting for a call tonight: “Day 2 of the NFL Draft, let the pain of getting passed on fuel you!” Smith-Schuster, who was picked in the second round (62nd overall) by Pittsburgh in the 2017 NFL Draft, has had almost 3,000 career receiving yards with the Steelers.
6:15 p.m. Pre-Draft: Television numbers from last night are in. Round 1 of the NFL draft drew a record 15.6 million viewers (previously 12.6 million viewers in 2014 was the record), according to ESPN. The top three markets for draft viewership, meaning the cities with the highest television ratings, per Sports Business Journal, were all in Ohio: Columbus, Cleveland and Cincinnati. The state likes its football.
Top players on the Panthers’ draft board
(Players bolded and italicized have already been drafted. Underlined players were selected by Carolina)
- Derrick Brown, DT, Auburn
- Jeremy Chinn, S, Southern Illinois
Yetur Gross-Matos, DE, Penn State
- Isaiah Simmons, LB, Clemson
- Jeff Okudah, CB, Ohio State
- Justin Herbert, QB, Oregon
- Javon Kinlaw, DT, South Carolina
- CeeDee Lamb, WR, Oklahoma
- CJ Henderson, CB, Florida
- A.J. Terrell, CB, Clemson
- Noah Igbinoghene, CB, Auburn
- Kenneth Murray, LB, Oklahoma
- Kristian Fulton, CB, LSU
- Julian Okwara, DE, Notre Dame
- Jaylon Johnson, CB, Utah
- James Lynch, EDGE, Baylor
- Logan Wilson, LB, Wyoming
- Kyle Dugger, S, Lenoir-Rhyne
- Jalen Reagor, WR, TCU
- Akeem Davis-Gaither, LB, Appalachian State
- Matt Hennessy, OL, Temple
- Denzel Mims, WR, Baylor
Trevon Diggs, CB, Alabama
- Tua Tagovailoa, QB, Alabama
- Jerry Jeudy, WR, Alabama
Zack Baun, LB/EDGE, Wisconsin
Terrell Lewis, EDGE, Alabama
Cameron Dantzler, CB, Mississippi State
Ashtyn Davis, S, Cal
Bryan Edwards, WR, South Carolina
This story was originally published April 24, 2020 at 6:15 PM.
