The Sports Xchange

CHARLOTTE — When the Carolina Panthers’ board started getting picked clean early in Friday’s second round, general manager Dave Gettleman got aggressive for guy they had given a first-round grade.

Carolina traded its third- and sixth-round selections to the Rams to jump 16 spots. With the 41st pick, the Panthers added 6-foot-4 wideout Devin Funchess.

Just like first-round pick Shaq Thompson, some teams were turned off by trying to figure out where to put Funchess. Is he a receiver or tight end? Gettleman made that answer clear: “He’s a wide receiver. Shaq’s a linebacker. This kid is a wide receiver.”

–Carolina came into the weekend with an obvious need at running back, one of the deepest positions in the draft. The Panthers waited until their final pick — their second compensatory selection in the fifth round — before grabbing a back. And Auburn’s Cameron Artis-Payne wasn’t happy that 14 other backs went ahead of him.

“I’m out to prove I’m better than more than a handful of them,” he said on a conference call with local media. “Whether I was a first-round draft pick or the 15th overall running back, I was going to come in with a hunger and a chip on my shoulder. But definitely, because I’m the 15th running back off the board, I’m out to prove a lot of people wrong.”

–The Panthers came into the draft with nine picks but left with just five new players. They liked plenty of players in the early rounds but weren’t impressed by who would be left late. So ultimately, for Carolina, this draft was about quality over quantity.

“The big thing with this draft, there were 24 juniors that we thought might come out that we looked at,” general manager Dave Gettleman said. “Seven of those guys had first-round value. So, obviously that would have made this a deeper draft.”

A closer look at the Panthers’ picks:

–Round 1/25 – Shaq Thompson, LB, 6-0, 228, Washington

The Panthers hoped to pick either tackle D.J. Humphries or Thompson. When Arizona snagged Humphries at No. 24, Carolina was happy to land one of the most athletic and versatile defenders in the draft.

–Round 2/41 – Devin Funchess, WR, 6-4, 232, Michigan

General manager Dave Gettleman surprised many by trading up 16 spots to grab Funchess. But the move gives often-erratic quarterback Cam Newton another big target.

–Round 4/102 – Daryl Williams, T, 6-5, 327, Oklahoma

After giving up a third- and sixth-round pick to get Funchess, Gettleman gave up a fifth and seventh so he could get Williams. The Panthers had a third-round grade on a guy who could start at right tackle in Week 1.

–Round 5/169 – David Mayo, LB, 6-2, 228, Texas State

Racked up gaudy tackle numbers in the Sun Belt Conference, but a 13-stop per game average is impressive against anyone.

–Round 5/174 – Cameron Artis-Payne, RB, 5-10, 212, Auburn

“Bowling ball” back filled a need, but the Panthers will likely remain searching for backups behind Jonathan Stewart.