If you had asked people before the 2018 NFL Draft started, most would have said Alabama WR Calvin Ridley.

However, after a long wait, the Carolina Panthers drafted the first receiver with the No. 24 overall pick and it wasn’t Ridley — it was D.J. Moore out of Maryland.

The former Terrapin raised some eyebrows when he came out for the draft after his junior season, but that decision paid off on Thursday night in Dallas.

Moore had 80 catches for 1,033 yards and eight touchdowns in 2017. He also added a touchdown as a runner for good measure.

In Carolina, he’ll work with QB Cam Newton and last year’s first round pick, RB Christian McCaffrey, to try to add some more explosiveness to the offense. If he has a big rookie year, the Panthers could challenge the Saints and Falcons for NFC South supremacy once again.