Looking at New Panther Devin Funchess
The Carolina Panthers have drafted Devin Funchess. They traded up from the 57th pick to the 41st pick and it cost them the 57th, 89th, and 201st pick to do it. That’s a big package that they offered the St. Louis Rams, but Funchess is a big guy.
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He is 6’5” 230 lbs and agile. He comes from a Big Ten school. He is about as close as I believe that the Panthers could get to drafting another Muhsin Muhammad. He even has occasional drops like Muhammad used to have. Whether he has Muhammad’s acumen is yet to be seen.
Funchess had sixty-two receptions for 733 yards and four touchdowns for the Michigan Wolverines in 2014. He ran a 4.7 forty at the combine, but lowered into sub 4.6 at Michigan’’ Pro Day. Wouldn’t be the first time a Panther receiver was underwhelming in workouts but great on the field (looking at you, Kelvin).
I like this better than if the Panthers had gone with Devin Smith (off the board anyway), Jamison Crowder, or Justin Hardy. Those little guys were all fast, but were not real red zone targets. When I made the case for trading for Andre Johnson last year, it is a role like Funchess will to fill that I was thinking of. Funchess just better not turn into David Boston.
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So now the offense looks like this. Benjamin on one side. Funchess and Ginn at the other two spots. Ginn will go deep, while Funchess will be the intermediate guy. I still think Funchess will pay the biggest dividends for the Panthers in the red zone, so he will be playing in those situations even if he gets off to a slow start.
Some will question the cost and note that the Panthers still do not have the tackle they need after two picks. Technically that is three picks that we do not have. Still the Panthers visited a number of later linemen in the draft, so Gettleman must have been ready for this. Don’t panic yet.