HEADLINES

Harrison Mevis

Panthers Sign 19 UDFA Rookies

May 11th, 2024 at 3:56pm CST by Ely Allen

The Panthers were able to address some weak spots on the roster with their draft picks last month but weren’t able to add much help to the offensive and defensive fronts. Thanks to a number of departures and a relatively small, seven-man draft class, Carolina was able to add a large, 19-man undrafted free agent group that does just that. Here’s the list of new UDFAs:

On offense, the Panthers add a little depth and a bit of potential, as well. Plummer was a journeyman in college, playing at Purdue for four years before spending a year each at Cal and Louisville. After a quiet tenure with the Boilermakers, Plummer delivered back-to-back 3,000-yard, 21-touchdown passing seasons for the Golden Bears and Cardinals.

At running back, Shirden doesn’t have much size or power, but his quick burst and speed are great attributes. In 2022, he led the FCS in rushing with 1,722 yards and 13 touchdowns while averaging 8.4 yards per carry. He followed that up in 2023 with 1,478 yards and 10 touchdowns. Coker was another small school phenom at Holy Cross. In his final two years, Coker caught 109 balls for 1,952 yards and 26 touchdowns. The jump in competition will be large for both players, but if they can make the adjustment, they could each earn roster spots.

Raym could be an underrated addition as a backup center after 29 starts at the position for the Sooners. He lacks perfect technique and athleticism but has toughness and instincts that could help him succeed in the NFL, and we’ve seen other linemen out of Oklahoma with similar limitations strive in the league.

On defense, Carolina brings in the try-hard Husky Mitchell. In all three years as a full-time starter, Mitchell led his team in tackles with 120, 140, and 113 from 2021-23. He stuffed the stat sheet over his collegiate career with 25 tackles for loss, 7.5 sacks, six forced fumbles, 10 passes defensed, and three interceptions. He struggles to overcome blockers and doesn’t cover well, but his above-average play recognition could make him a nuisance.

The Panthers added a small school phenom on defense, as well. Drew comes in from Virginia State, where he dominated in his last two seasons as a starter. He showed elite ball skills, racking up 34 passes defensed and 11 interceptions in those two years. Like Shirden and Coker, he’ll need to trust his abilities and develop to compete with much tougher competition.

Ben Levine contributed to this post.

Panthers Sign UDFA Missouri K Harrison Mevis

April 28th, 2024 at 6:34pm CST by Ely Allen

After the draft this weekend, the Panthers made the call to bring in some competition for their specialists group. Specifically, the team made the call to sign undrafted free agent kicker Harrison Mevis or, as he was better known at Missouri, the “Thicker Kicker,” according to Joe Person of The Athletic.

Mevis, earning his nickname due to his 5-foot-11, 243 pound stature, served as the Tigers’ primary kicker for the last four years. Over his four-year collegiate career, Mevis made 147 of 148 extra point attempts while converting 86 of 103 (83.5%) of his field goals attempts.

He gained popularity after his first two seasons with the team, in which he made all 69 extra points that he attempted and missed only five of 45 field goal attempts. Over his final two years in Columbia, though, Mevis missed six kicks in each season. Some of his recent struggles with accuracy came from the team’s expanded trust in his range. Mevis was known for his big leg, making 12 successful kicks over 50 yards. He even booted a game-winning 61-yarder as time expired to avoid overtime and walk off a ranked Kansas State team in his senior year.

In Carolina, he arrives to provide competition to the Panthers’ kicker of the past two years, Eddy Pineiro. Pineiro is entering the second year of a two-year contract he earned after converting 33 of 35 field goal attempts in his first season with the team in 2022. Pineiro has a conversion percentage of 89 in his career and is known for having a big leg himself, topping out at 56 yards in the NFL. After starting his career a perfect five-for-five from over 50 yards, Carolina tested him this year, and he responded by making five-of-seven from that distance.

Still, after seeing Pineiro miss four field goals last year and five extra points over the last two, it appears they find it useful to bring in a bit of competition. Pineiro reportedly was not in attendance for Carolina’s voluntary minicamp last week, per Person, so bringing in some added competition may be intended to light a fire under Pineiro and get him back and working on his craft.

Not only is Mevis being signed by the Panthers as an undrafted free agent, though, but he’s also being signed to a multi-year deal. So, it appears that he will get a real chance to earn the kicking job. Regardless, Mevis will come into camp looking to show the NFL that he can kick in the big leagues.