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CHARLOTTE -- The Carolina Panthers proved how deep they go into the scouting process by using their sixth-round pick on Alex Armah. The 6-foot-2, 253-pound Armah played college football at West Georgia, a Division II school in Carrollton, Ga. Armah, who grew up in Gwinnett County, Ga., began his college career at linebacker. Coaches then asked him to play defensive end before he added tight end duties as a senior.
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But when the Panthers traveled to West Georgia to work out Armah during the pre-draft process, it was as a fullback.
"I really felt comfortable with everything they had me do and there was just a rapport with them," Armah said on a conference call shortly after he was drafted.
"I went on a lot of visits, talked to a few teams and I was really hoping for this call from the Panthers. So I feel really blessed right now."
The Panthers kicked off the third day of the draft by spending their fifth-round choice on Miami cornerback Corn Elder. Corn? Really?.
No, not really.
"My name is actually Cornelius," said Cornelius Marquis Elder on a conference call from his home in Nashville. "But everybody calls me Corn."
A top-30 running back in high school, Elder shifted to defense when he arrived in Miami. The move worked out well for the Hurricanes and Elder, who led the team in pass breakups his final two seasons.
The knock on the 5-foot-10, 183-pound Elder is his size. Those measureables earmark him for competition primarily in the slot, where the Panthers are expected to start 5-foot-9, 195-pound Captain Munnerlyn.
"A lot of people question my size, but if you turn on the film, you can't tell it," Elder said, sounding remarkably similar to Munnerlyn. "I'm a physical player. I love to tackle and that's what I'm going to bring to this team. I'm going to bring that passion and everything to the field."
Round 1/8 -- Christian McCaffrey, RB, 5-11, 202, Stanford
Panthers put the former Heisman runner-up in their crosshairs well before he turned heads at the Combine. Now he'll be one of quarterback Cam Newton's new best friends.
Round 2/40 -- Curtis Samuel, WR, 5-11, 196, Ohio State
Another hybrid to pair with McCaffrey seems redundant at first glance, but the duo could give defensive coordinators headaches.
Round 2/64 -- Taylor Moton, T, 6-5, 319, Western Michigan
With Michael Oher's status very much up in the air, the Panthers needed to add a tackle. Moton is the backup plan behind Daryl Williams.
Round 3/77 -- Daeshon Hall, DE, 6-5, 266, Texas A&M
The Panthers sent their fourth-round pick to Arizona in a swap of third-round choices that let Carolina grab a guy they believe will develop into an every-down end.
Round 5/152 -- Corn Elder, CB, 5-10, 183, Miami
Should slide into a backup role at nickel behind Captain Munnerlyn and could also chip in as a returner.
Round 6/192 -- Alex Armah, FB, 6-2, 253, West Georgia
Small-school guy played linebacker, defensive end and tight end in college, but he'll have a chance to stick in the pros at a position the Panthers still value.
Round 7/233 -- Harrison Butker, K, 6-4, 199, Georgia Tech
Yellow Jackets' all-time leading scorer will at least push incumbent Graham Gano this summer.
