Draft Exam Review: Round 2

The NFL draft is complete and so are the bulk of the signings of undrafted free agents. I will be analyzing one pick a day this week plus my favorite undrafted free agents to make the roster or practice squad. Keep Pounding!

Round 2, Pick 41: WR Devin Funchess, University of Michigan

To say I was surprised to see that the Panthers had moved up from 57 to 41 on Twitter would be an understatement. This did not seem to be a very Dave Gettleman-type move. The normally conservative GM traded away picks 57, 89, and 201 (Rounds 2, 3, and 6) to move up 16 spots, allowing the Panthers to select Devin Funchess out of the University of Michigan. I thought longer and harder about the implications of the trade rather than the selection of Funchess. Since the draft came to a close I have realized that the Panthers felt they did not have roster spots for nine draft selections, so it absolutely made sense to move up for a player they desired.

Now, on to the player himself. Funchess is 6'4" and 232 pounds and lined up a a variety of spots for the Wolverines throughout his career. Many draft pundits saw him as a TE / WR hybrid or tweener, which knocked him down their draft boards, especially in combination with his poor combine showing (4.70 forty yard dash). Funchess's draft ranking did not really recover even with 4.47 and 4.53 second forties at Michigan's Pro Day. These numbers seem much more in-line with his game speed. Funchess is a similar prospect to Kelvin Benjamin in that both receivers present size mismatches, but they are more dissimilar than one might think at first glance. Funchess appears to play with better top-end speed than Benjamin and significantly more ability to make plays after the catch, while Benjamin has larger hands (freakish 10 1/4" versus still above average 9 3/4") and is a better jump ball receiver. 

One aspect of Funchess's senior season that I think is largely overlooked (or at least not mentioned) is how poor his quarterback play was. Devin Gardner was the 94th quarterback based on QB rating in the NCAAF, and he can thank some incredible Funchess plays for that high of a rating. Time and time again I watched as Gardner failed to scan the field or threw another terrifying jump pass with little to no zip or spiral on it. Funchess certainly had some disappointing drops and some missed opportunities for big plays, but his quarterback never helped him out.

In the NFL Funchess has the size-speed combination to be a matchup issue for opposing defenses. I think he will probably be the #2 wide receiver in 2-WR sets, and may lineup in the slot with 3 or more receivers, especially if either Jarret Boykin or Stephen Hill is able to establish himself in training camp. In two offseasons the Panthers have transformed one of the weakest receiving corps into a potentially dynamic stable that could trot as many as 4 receivers at least 6' 4" (Benjamin, Funchess, Hill, and TE Greg Olsen), each of whom presents a unique look.

My grade: 89/100

Gettleman went on record as having a first-round grade on Funchess in a draft with as few as 20 players with such grades. This, in combination with the lack of roster spots makes giving up a 3rd rounder and a 6th rounder well worth the move up from 57. The Panthers showed they have not forgotten about Cam, and are willing to move up to get talent they feel can succeed with him in Carolina. My grade is optimistic, as am I.

Projection: 14 games, 12 starts, 45 catches, 700 yards, 6 touchdowns