The Carolina Panthers used their first-round pick on SEC Defensive Player of the Year Derrick Brown, but new coach Matt Rhule apparently would have gone in a different direction.
Appearing Monday on WFNZ in Charlotte, The Athletic’s Joe Person reported that Rhule was “open and eager” to trade out of the No. 7 overall pick but was overruled by GM Marty Hurney. The team then drafted the Auburn defensive tackle Brown with the pick.
“[Rhule] wanted to add a couple more picks, maybe find a sweet spot in the teens somewhere,” said Person, per Rotoworld. “[But] Marty said Derrick Brown is our guy. We aren’t moving.”
Rhule was just hired as Panthers coach in January after three years as head coach at Baylor University. Hurney, meanwhile, has spent 14 total seasons as the general manager of the team and first joined their front office in 1998.
It is not that uncommon for draft picks to be non-unanimous, especially when there are newcomers involved in the decision-making process. However, it will be interesting to see just how much leeway the Panthers give to Rhule, who already has some new strategies that he would like to implement.
