Here are the perceived draft needs of the Carolina Panthers, which we did on our own, without any outside input.  (So if they suck, blame us.  As if you wouldn’t anyway.) 

Receiver: This team needs, more than anything else, someone to take advantage of all the attention devoted to receiver Steve Smith.  Smith developed into an MVP candidate in 2005, but has since found himself blanketed by attention, with no one else able to force the coverage to even glance in his direction.  Through free agency, the Panthers added several bodies (like D.J. Hackett and Muhsin Muhammad), but Dwayne Jarrett has all the early signs of being a bust.  The Panthers would be wise to target a mid-round speedster who might be able to take the slack off Smith.  Or, even better, to develop into a star in his own right.

Running back:  With DeShaun Foster sent packing, DeAngelo Williams will get a chance to be the go-to guy.  But Williams hasn’t shown many flashes of ability in two NFL seasons.  Sure, it was hard for him to make a dent with DeShaun atop the depth chart.  But that didn’t stop Adrian Peterson last year in Minnesota, whose game-breaking skill quickly supplanted Chester Taylor.  Free-agent arrival LaBrandon Toefield will help keep down the wear and tear on Williams, but in a tailback-rich draft class the better bet is to find a guy early on day two who can deliver some big hits, and churn out even bigger yards.

Offensive tackle:  With no long-term extension on the immediate horizon for Jordan Gross, the Panthers need to be prepared for 2009, in the event that they decide no to use the franchise tag on Gross again.  We like the idea of taking the best available tackle at No. 13, and then sending Gross to Minnesota straight up for Chester Taylor.

Defensive line:  Whether it’s a new team or retirement, defensive end Mike Rucker won’t be back.  Tyler Brayton, signed via free agency, likely will replace him, unless Brayton moves inside.  Besides, what about Julius Peppers?  The team needs to be ready to replace him in 2009, if Peppers isn’t retained.

On the inside, The trade of Kris Jenkins creates a big, sloppy hole in the middle of the line.  Damoine Lewis will be the short-term answer in place of Jenkins, and Ma’ake Kemoeatu was a big-money free-agency signing in 2007.  At a minimum, some depth would be helpful; the roster currently contains only four defensive tackles.

Quarterback:  The starter is a 33-year-old journeyman who got hot for a couple of seasons and is recovering from the arm surgery known for the pitcher with the two first names.  ‘Nuff said.  If Matt Ryan is on the board at No. 13, it’ll be interesting to see whether the Panthers can resist the temptation to line up a possible long-term upgrade.