Patrick Peterson and Carolina Panthers: A Perfect Match

Filed under: Panthers, NFC South

Urban Meyer would not recruit Patrick Peterson to Florida. That was the story I got. Peterson, who is from South Florida, seemed too immature and the Gators could have their pick of defensive backs, so they stayed away. The kid also changed his name, and that caused some people to question his character.

There were a lot of questions. We made snap judgments, of course, and wondered about Peterson's makeup.

There was more to Peterson, it turns out and his makeup is just fine. The Carolina Panthers are going to study him and they are going to fall in love with him and take him No. 1 overall.

When I went down to Baton Rouge to work on stories about defensive tackle Drake Nevis and coach Les Miles this past season, I spoke with Peterson and there was a pleasant vibe about this kid. He talked about his team, not his season.

His season was spectacular with punt returns and interceptions and hard-headed play. He never quit on the back end of the defense and frequently came rushing into the picture to help with a play that might be happening across the field.

There were two plays at Alabama in 2009 that told me the kid was special. An Alabama receiver got loose down the sideline and was running for the end zone. Peterson came from the middle of the field, he didn't give up on the play, and tracked down the ball carrier for a tackle. He was a streak and you could see his pure speed.

There was a play toward the end of that same Alabama game where Peterson made an interception on the sideline when it looked like he had no play on the ball. He caught it with his fingertips and kept his toes inbounds. The official said he was out of bounds, but it was a bad call. It was a pick and it could have ruined the Crimson Tide's unbeaten season.

Carolina needs a defensive tackle, but every team can use a cornerback like Peterson in the NFL. This league is built on the pass, not the run. Fix the pass defense first is what I say.

The Panthers are going to have a decision to make. If they are truly building for the future they won't trade this pick.

 

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Source: http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2011/02/02/patrick-peterson-and-carolina-panthers-a-perfect-match/

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