As huge as the NFL is, the upper levels are often a very small community. Think about this: two of the three general managers in Panthers’ history first got to know each other because of high school football.

Before he became Carolina’s first GM, Bill Polian built the Bills into the AFC’s dominant team in the early 90s. One of his most-trusted scouts during that time was a guy he first discovered as a high school coach – current Panthers’ GM Dave Gettleman.

“(Dave) was a terrific judge of talent when he was a high school coach and we were living in the same town,” Polian said. “We talked football all the time and I recognized that he had a really good grasp on what talent evaluation was, and that hasn’t changed, it’s just grown.”

Polian, now an ESPN Front Office Insider, reminisced about his time with Gettleman during a pre-draft conference call Monday afternoon.

With the Panthers picking so late in the first round, it’s tough to nail down what they will do at No. 28. But one of Gettleman’s biggest supporters and mentors is confident the decision will come down to what his former scout has always done best.

“He’s been through this drill many times before. He will not panic, he will not be swayed by outside noise, he will not be bothered with anything that’s been written or said about any player,” Polian said. “He’s going to make a judgement based on his experience, based on his evaluation and based on the evaluators that he trusts on his staff.”