(PHOTOS: GETTY IMAGES AND COLLEGIATE IMAGES)
CHARLOTTE -- By one measurement, the Panthers' 2009 draft class was as balanced as you can get for an odd number of picks -- four selections on defense, three on offense.
But with the Panthers turning defensive for their first three selections -- including two choices for the defensive line -- it became clear where the emphasis of the team's 15th draft rested.
"I think it was about time we injected some guys in there on defense," head coach John Fox said.
Sunday, the Panthers followed their Saturday night second-round selections of defensive end 
The seventh-rounder capped a hectic weekend that was bookended by trades with the San Francisco Bay Area clubs. Saturday night's swap of next year's first-rounder to the 49ers for second- and fourth-rounders this year turned into Brown and Goodson, two players who could fill specific, pressing needs.
Brown, the leading sacker in the Atlantic Coast Conference last year, provides a pass-rushing spark. Goodson, a running back who had 37 receptions in 2008, could assume the utility/reserve running back role handled by Nick Goings prior to his release in February.
"That's one of the things we obviously need to fill," general manager Marty Hurney said. "We hope he will contribute on special teams. Nick was a fantastic player for us, but that's one of the roles you're going to want someone to fill."
Fourth-round running back Mike Goodson. (PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES)
The 6-foot, 208-pound Goodson amassed 792 yards from scrimmage last year -- 406 on the ground and 386 through the air. He scored eight touchdowns -- five rushing, three receiving -- and averaged 6.0 yards per touch (4.3 per carry; 10.4 per catch), but only averaged 11.9 touches per game, which he acknowledged "played a part" in his decision to forego a final year of eligibility and turn pro.
"As an athlete you always want to compete and get more than what you got," Goodson said. "But I'm here now and I can just go on and try to make this part better."
Added Hurney: "He makes big plays. He has good hands; he can be a receiver out of the backfield. He's an explosive player that has the ability to make big plays."
Fourth-round fullback Tony Fiammetta. (PHOTO: COLLEGIATE IMAGES)
Joining Goodson in the backfield 12 picks later was fullback Tony Fiammetta, a powerful blocker who helped Orange tailback Curtis Brinkley to a 1,000-yard campaign last year. But Fiammetta also showed some elusiveness and playmaking ability with the football, averaging 9.2 yards per touch as a senior.
"He's athletic, he blocks well and we just thought he was a very good fit for us," Hurney said.
Fiammetta is keenly aware of what he stands to inherit if he can claim the starting position -- a chance to block for arguably the best running tandem in the league.
"To be a fullback and go to such a powerful running offense, it's an honor," he said. "It's just a great situation."
Fiammetta also gets to join incumbent fullback
"I've admired him for years," Fiammetta said. "I notice his consistency and his professionalism. It just seems like every play matters to him.
"If I can get to that level one day, that would be exciting."
Fifth-round offensive lineman Duke Robinson. (PHOTO: COLLEGIATE IMAGES)
Also renowned for his blocking is Robinson, a 6-foot-5, 329-pound All-American whom the Panthers nabbed with their fifth-round pick -- about two rounds later than many draft pundits had him slotted.
"He was an extremely good value there," Hurney said. "He fits what we want to do on the offensive line. He's a powerful blocker and we thought that he was a good get there in the fifth round."
And an unexpected one -- at least to Robinson.
"I never even had a conversation with the Panthers, so this was the last thing I was thinking," he said. "But I'm just blessed right now. I'm so happy they picked me. It gives me an opportunity to come and prove myself and show them what I can do. I'm just happy; I'm enjoying it right now."
Third-round defensive lineman Corvey Irvin. (PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES)
Another mammoth lineman was equally tickled to be tapped by the Panthers -- Irvin, whose selection opened the Panthers' second-day activity.
While he is officially a product of the University of Georgia, in truth his two years at Georgia Military College were at least as important in making him a professional, teaching him discipline and character. Without his time there, he might not be a third-round draft pick headed to the NFL.
"I was a young man who was kind of lost," he admitted. "It taught me to be a man ... It was the best thing that ever happened to me."
The two years there not only changed him, but others' perception of him. Irvin said that only Fort Valley (Ga.) State recruited him out of high school, but that after his two years at Georgia Military, a broad range of elite football programs -- Georgia, Florida, Iowa, South Carolina, Auburn and USC among others -- came after him.
"I could have gone anywhere," he said.
Irvin was a late bloomer then, and he was a late bloomer last year, finally breaking into the starting lineup and doing enough to earn a trip to the Senior Bowl and a place on scouts' radar screens.
"He's got quickness; he's disruptive inside. We think he gets good penetration and I think he's a very good player," Hurney said.
"We had him on our board basically where we took him. He's a good fit, but he's a good football player. He was in that area from Day One for us -- and when I talk about Day One, I go back to September or October. We were happy to get him there (at the No. 93 pick)."
Irvin said he and Panthers defensive line coach Brian Baker "hit it off" at his Pro Day in March, leaving him eager for the chance to work with the recently hired coach on a full-time basis.
"I had a feeling it was going to be Carolina when I was looking at the (draft board)," he said, adding that he had evaluated all the teams based on their needs. "I started feeling anxious, and then the 704 area code popped up."
Those three digits spurred an equally giddy reaction in Munnerlyn, the Panthers' final pick.
Seventh-round cornerback Captain Munnerlyn. (PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES)
"I smiled when I saw the 704 number come up on my phone, because I knew that was the Panthers' area code," Munnerlyn said. "I said, 'Oh man, that's Carolina calling.' And I saw they had the next pick. He said, 'Are you ready to be a Panther?' and I said, 'Oh, yeah!' It was exciting because I played college ball at South Carolina, and that's only like an hour away. It was exciting to hear my name get called. I'm ready for it, ready to take my game to the next level."
As with Robinson and Brown, Munnerlyn was graded above than his seventh-round status.
"We had him higher on the board," Hurney said. "He's very quick. He's a very competitive player, and we feel like he was an excellent pick in the seventh round."
From beginning to end, it was a draft defined by perceived value. When minicamp begins Friday, the Panthers will begin learning the actual worth of their newcomers.
MORE FROM THE DRAFT:
• Video: Hurney and Fox
• Day 2: As it happened
• Photos: Everette Brown
• Panthers.com TV: Brown's visit
• Day 1: Panthers deal up a draft
• Video: Hurney's Day One wrap
• Day 1: As it happened
DRAFTEE Q&As:
• Round 2: Everette Brown
• Round 2: Sherrod Martin
• Round 3: Corvey Irvin
• Round 4: Mike Goodson
• Round 4: Tony Fiammetta
• Round 5: Duke Robinson
• Round 7: Captain Munnerlyn
