4 NFL Draft Mistakes the Panthers Cannot Afford to Make This Year

The NFL draft is a night full of mistakes, something the Carolina Panthers have learned well over the years. Every team will make some mistakes. This is about limiting those mistakes and ensuring they're not going to derail a budding team.

There are some mistakes, though, that would hurt a whole lot worse than others. To make sure the Panthers keep rising and trending upwards, these four mistakes must be avoided at all costs.

Buy the hype of late draft risers

Carolina Panthers helmet before a game against the Green Bay Packers | Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

There's a good chance the Panthers won't make this mistake because it goes against Brandt Tilis' philosophy. He said in a piece by Joe Person of The Athletic, "When that happens, it’s usually a good thing. From my vantage point, I’m afraid of late risers."

There will be a ton of late risers for a variety of reasons. The Panthers don't have to avoid those players, but they do need to avoid overdrafting them just because their stock is suddenly, supposedly rising.

Overdraft a tackle

The tackle tax is real, and it leads to players at the position being drafted really early. Mock drafts are subject to this, too. There are players who were once considered second-round prospects being pushed into the first round now.

Blake Miller is a good example of this, as most big boards still have him as a second-round pick but some mocks have the Panthers drafting him at 19. The need for a tackle is very real, but the Panthers have to be smart about it.

Spend too high a pick on a backup QB

Texas Tech Red Raiders quarterback Behren Morton (2) passes the ball against the Oregon Ducks | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

The Panthers are clearly in the market for a quarterback, as they've spent three top-30 visits at the position and have virtually met with other potential backups for when Kenny Pickett leaves this offseason.

The Panthers may draft a backup quarterback to develop, but they really can't afford to spend too high a pick on one. They have far too many holes and actual needs to address to do something like that.

Draft a running back

Before his stock rose, the odd mock draft had Jeremiyah Love going to the Panthers to give them a dominant backfield once again. They also spent a top-30 visit on Kaelon Black, so running back might be a position they're looking at.

It shouldn't be. They have Chuba Hubbard and Jonathon Brooks. They drafted Trevor Etienne in 2025. They signed AJ Dillon. The backfield is certainly not in perfect shape, but they can't afford to spend any more capital at the position.