CHARLOTTE -- Notes for a draft weekend ...
CAROLINA IS NOT SCHEDULED TO PICK until the 59th selection. If that holds, that would mark the latest that the Panthers have opened their draft in franchise annals, and just the second time in 15 drafts that they did not have a first-round pick.
The 59th pick wouldn't just be the latest in terms of selections, but could be late, period, in terms of actual time. For the first time in draft history, the draft will begin at 4 p.m. EDT. If every team takes the maximum allotted time for its selections -- 10 minutes in the first round; seven minutes in the second -- then the Panthers would not go on the clock until 12:22 a.m. EDT.
Of course, never does every team use every minute and second allotted to it during the draft. Last year's first round -- which only included 31 selections because the Patriots were stripped of their pick by league mandate -- took three hours and 30 minutes to complete, making it the shortest first round since 1990. That calculates to an average of six minutes, 47 seconds per selections. If that rate repeats this year, the first round would be complete at 13 seconds before 7:37 p.m. EDT.
With the second round limited to seven minutes per selection, the Panthers would then go on the clock no later than 10:39 p.m. EDT. If teams take the same percentage of time in the second round that they did in last year's first round -- 66.7 percent -- then they would average four minutes, 45 seconds per second round pick. At that rate, the Panthers would then go on the clock at five seconds past 9:40 p.m. EDT.
THE PANTHERS' FIVE PICKS arrive in rounds two through six, with the top and bottom selections being dealt last year in deals that brought right tackle Jeff Otah and quarterback Josh McCown, respectively.
SECOND ROUND: NO. 59:
LAST YEAR IT WAS: Mike Pollak, G, Arizona State to the Colts.
WHEN THE PANTHERS PICKED THERE: In 2007, when Carolina tapped C Ryan Kalil from USC.
SOME NOTABLE PICKS AT THE POSITION: Jeremy Trueblood, G, Boston College to Tampa Bay ... 2005: Jonathan Babineaux, DE, Iowa to Atlanta ... 2004: Sean Jones, S, Georgia to Cleveland ... 2002: Sheldon Brown, CB, South Carolina to Philadelphia ... 2000: Marcus Washignton, LB, Auburn to Indianapolis ... 1996: Ernie Conwell, TE, Washington to St. Louis ... 1994: Jason Sehorn, S, USC to N.Y. Giants ... 1991: Aeneas Williams, CB, Southern to Arizona ... 1989: Mike Utley, G, Washington State to Detroit ... 1988: Kevin Porter, DB, Auburn to Kansas City ... 1985: Kirk Lowdermilk, C, Ohio State to Minnesota ... 1984: Jeff Hostetler, QB, West Virginia to N.Y. Giants.
THIRD ROUND: NO. 93:
LAST YEAR IT WAS: Philip Wheeler, LB, Georgia Tech to the Colts.
WHEN THE PANTHERS PICKED THERE: Never before this year.
SOME NOTABLE PICKS AT THE POSITION: 2003: Chris Brown, RB, Colorado to Tennessee ... 1998: Steve McKinney, G, Texas A&M to Indianapolis ... 1990: Scott Mitchell, QB, Utah to Miami ... Joe Phillips, NT, SMU to Minnesota ... 1983: Trey Junkin, TE, Louisiana Tech to Buffalo ... 1978: Gerald Small, DB, San Jose State to Miami.
FOURTH ROUND: NO. 128:
LAST YEAR IT WAS: Keenan Burton, WR, Kentucky to the Rams.
WHEN THE PANTHERS PICKED THERE: Never before this year.
SOME NOTABLE PICKS AT THE POSITION: 2001: Floyd "Pork Chop" Womack, G, Mississippi State to Seattle ... 2007: Al Singleton, LB, Temple to Tampa Bay ... 1990: Barry Foster, RB, Arkansas to Pittsburgh ... 1984: John Kidd, P, Northwestern to Buffalo ... 1982: Jeff Davis, LB, Clemson to Tampa Bay ... 1976: Carl Ekern, LB, San Jose State to L.A. Rams.
FIFTH ROUND: NO. 163:
LAST YEAR IT WAS: Owen Schmitt, FB, West Virginia to the Seahawks.
WHEN THE PANTHERS PICKED THERE: In 2005, when the Panthers took WR Drew Carter from Ohio State.
SOME NOTABLE PICKS AT THE POSITION: 2005: Frank Omiyale, OT, Tennessee Tech to Atlanta ... 2000: Tee Martin, QB, Tennessee to Pittsburgh ... 1991: Todd Scott, DB, Louisiana-Lafayette to Minnesota ... 1988: Shawn Lee, NT, North Alabama to Tampa Bay ... 1978: Doug Betters, DE, Nevada-Reno to Miami ... 1970: Lemar Parrish, DB, Lincoln (Mo.) to Cincinnati.
SIXTH ROUND: NO. 202:
LAST YEAR IT WAS: Mike Hart, RB, Michigan to the Colts.
WHEN THE PANTHERS PICKED THERE: Never before this year.
SOME NOTABLE PICKS AT THE POSITION: 2005: Dave Rayner, K, Michigan State to Indianapolis ... 2001: Renaldo Hill, CB, Michigan State to Arizona ... 1993: Doug Pelfrey, K, Kentucky to Cincinnati ... 1983: Earnest Jackson, RB, Texas A&M to San Diego ... 1981: Bobby Kemp, DB, Fullerton State to Cincinnati.
AND THE PARTY'S ON ... at Carowinds on Saturday. Festivities begin when the park opens at 10 a.m. and will feature appearances by players, TopCats and Sir Purr, games, contests and a question and answer session with players. Panthers' shows will occur in the Paladium Amphitheatre from 3 to 5:30 p.m. The event is free with an admission ticket to the 112-acre amusement and water park in Charlotte. Parkgoers are encouraged to wear Panthers T-shirts, jerseys and hats on Saturday.
