2025 NFL draft: Grading each pick by the Carolina Panthers

The bees are all dying off, the oceans are warming and the global economy is a mess. As if you needed any more evidence that the end is near, the Carolina Panthers actually managed to do something right. Specifically, they have put together what appears to be a pretty strong draft class.

Not evreryone agrees, of course. ESPN's long-time NFL draft guru Mel Kiper Jr. for one isn't too impressed by Carolina's picks. He's given the Panthers a C+ grade overall. At least from where we're sitting, the Panthers addressed all of their biggest needs and took advantage of the strengths of the 2025 draft class.

The results are yet to be determined, but that's all you can ask for as far as process goes. Let's break it down by each pick - here's how we grade each of them.

Pick No. 8: Arizona WR Tetairoa McMillan: A

It would have been on-brand for this team to pass on wide receivers in this class, claiming they'll rely on the development of Xaiver Legette and Jalen Coker. That would have been another big mistake, and Panthers fans should breathe a sigh of relief that they went another direction. By picking the number one pure wide receiver prospect in this class, they made a huge investment at a premium position that was also one of their biggest roster holes. McMillan also happens to fit exactly what they're missing on the field with the current receiver corps. No draftee is a sure thing, but it would come as a surprise if McMillan can't develop into a solid long-term starter at the least.

Pick No. 51: Texas A&M EDGE Nic Scourton: B+

Next, the Panthers took their first of two dips into a strong draft class on the edge, which was also a massive need. First they traded up with the Denver Broncos (No. 57, No. 74, No. 111, and No. 230 in exchange for No. 51, No. 85, No. 122, and No. 208 and then they took Scourton. There's more to it, but for what it's worth Scourton's college production as a pass rusher was better than Jalon Walker, who the Panthers were widely expected to pick in Round 1. Scourton gives Carolina what should be a quality book-end for a long time.

Pick No. 77: Ole Miss EDGE Princely Umanmielen: A-

Here's where general manager Dan Morgan really started to separate himself from recent Panthers draft class. In the third round he made another aggressive move up, dealing pick Nos. 85 and 146 overall to the New England Patriots for No. 77. The Panthers then doubled down on the edge, landing an even better prospect than Scourton in Umanmielen. We're not crazy about the trade value, but Umanmielen is another excellent pick at a position of need. The two of them set Carolina up well for the long run after current starters Jadeveon Clowney and DJ Wonnum are gone.

Pick No. 111: Georgia RB Trevor Etienne: C-

A running back had to be on the menu at some point thanks to Jonathon Brooks' ACL injury that is expected to sideline him all year. However, the Panthers pulled the trigger on this one awfully early in the draft when they have two awesome options in the backfield already with Chuba Hubbard and Rico Dowdle. For all we know, Etienne could turn out to be better than both, but this is about grading the picks themselves - not the prospects. In this case, there were still a ton of great players on the board at far more important positions, all due respect to the resurgence of the running back.

Pick No. 122: Ohio State S Lathan Ransom: A-

Thankfully the Panthers recovered their senses with the next pick, hitting up their greatest hole on defense: the safety spot next to Tre'Von Moehrig. In Ransom they landed another high-quality run defender at this position who excels around the box. However, you can make a case that what they really needed was more of a ball-hawking deep safety type to complement Moehrig. Still, for what he does well Ransom is a solid-enough pick and gives them the starter-level safety they were missing.

Pick No. 140: Florida NT Cam Jackson: A

Carolina made several big investments to the interior defensive line rotation in free agency. It would have been fine to pass on this class as a result, but with the Cam Jackson pick they give themselves some extra depth at nose tackle behind newcomer Bobby Brown II. Remember, this group's depth was badly exposed last season after Derrick Brown went down. Jackson's size and ability to plug the run adds another layer to stop the bleeding where the Panthers were weakest last season on this side of the ball.

Pick No. 163: Notre Dame TE Mitchell Evans: A+

This one was arguably the Panthers' best pick of the day, taking advantage of a strong draft class at tight end, where they were weaker than any other team in the NFL - even after taking JT Sanders in the fourth round last year. Evans' college production wasn't all that great (903 yards, five touchdowns in 45 games), but he has all the physical tools to become a legit red zone threat at the next level. That's something the Panthers' passing game badly needed more of.

Pick No. 208: Colorado WR Jimmy Horn Jr.: A

After landing McMillan in the first round Carolina came back to the well at wide receiver, where they still needed more firepower on the lower half of their rotation. With Jimmy Horn, they got some of the speed that's missing from the current group. The Panthers are also getting an excellent kickoff returner, with Horn having totaled 716 yards and one touchdown between two years at South Florida and two at Colorado.

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