Notre Dame steal named Panthers' best value pick in 2025 NFL draft

The last time the Carolina Panthers took a tight end from Notre Dame in the draft it was Tommy Tremble in Round 3 back in 2021. Tremble is good at what he does - namely a whole lot of blocking, but he doesn't really move the needle as a pass-catching threat. Neither did Ian Thomas nor any other tight end the Panthers have brought in since Greg OIsen started to decline.

That may be about to change, because the Panthers may have landed a Day 3 gem when they picked Mitchell Evans out of Notre Dame in the fifth round, No. 163 overall. All due respect to Tremble's skillset - as well as that of 2024 fourth-round pick Ja'Tavion Sanders, Evans is on another level in this part of the game.

According to Brent Sobleski at Bleacher Report, Evans was the best value pick that the Panthers made in this year's draft.

"Had Notre Dame tight end Mitchell Evans stayed healthy in 2023 and then declared for the 2024 draft, he would have heard his name called long before the fifth round... Evans is a legitimate 6'5", 258-pound Y-tight end. As long as he looks more explosive in 2025, the rookie could be the team's best option to work the middle of the field."

That's exactly the kind of dynamic that the Panthers need at this position - and the lack of separation on Bryce Young's tight end targets the last couple years reinforces that point in a big way. Evans does his best work in the intermediate part of the field, which is the one area where Carolina's offense has to grow the most.

There are concerns about Evans - in this case it's whether he can stay healthy after having sustained an ACL tear and a broken foot in college. That's always worth a question but teams can't allow previous injuries to move them off quality prospects - especially when they play positions where the team is ranked dead last in the NFL.

Until Evans arrives or Sanders breaks out, that's still where these Panthers belong. It's one of many items that have to change if they're ever going to win another NFC South title.

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