Although it wasn’t a complete shocker, Tuesday’s cut of wide receiver Terrace Marshall Jr. certainly turned a few heads. While the former second-round pick has yet to blossom into the player the Carolina Panthers selected him to be, there’s little doubt that the talented 24-year-old has the potential to make an impact in the NFL.
But unfortunately, at least for this particular franchise, the move shines an even brighter light on just how poorly the previous regime built their draft record.
That record came courtesy of former general manager Scott Fitterer, who was fired in January after a three-year run in Charlotte. And even though his somewhat gung-ho nature and “in on every deal” approach excited the fan base at times, Fitterer’s work—particularly in the draft—fell quite short.
While the jury remains out on some of Fitterer’s picks such as left tackle Ikem Ekwonu, quarterback Bryce Young and wide receiver Jonathan Mingo, it’s difficult to find any pattern of success in Carolina’s draft process over his tenure. Fitterer’s first draft in 2021 was clearly his best—with cornerback Jaycee Horn, running back Chuba Hubbard, tight end Tommy Tremble and offensive lineman Brady Christensen still holding onto roster spots.
Far more common in the Fitterer era, however, were selections like quarterback Matt Corral, linebacker Brandon Smith and Marshall. Both Corral and Smith were aggressively traded up for in 2022 and are already off the roster.
Fitterer also led the charges to trade up for the likes of Young and outside linebacker DJ Johnson in 2023. And, once again, the moves failed to pay off for the Panthers—at least right away.
When it comes down to it, it’s fair to say Fitterer was not able to land a single “superstar” player in his three drafts as Carolina’s shot caller. There is still hopes for Horn, but that’s as long as he staves off his already extensive injury history.
Hopefully, this trend can be quickly dispatched by Fitterer’s successor and new general manager Dan Morgan, and perhaps some stars will finally start emerging in Carolina.
