Carolina Panthers Get Steal of the Draft in Analyst's Latest Mock

Getting a good player is important in the NFL draft, and the Carolina Panthers will try their best in a few weeks to get a good player. It doesn't always go as anyone plans, but their goal is to find a player who can help them.

Getting good value on a good player is what makes a good draft pick even better. Drafting a top-five prospect is always good, but drafting that top-five prospect at 12th overall is fantastic, for example.

And in the latest mock draft from one NFL analyst, the Panthers end up with a good player, and they happen to get the best possible value from the pick as well.

Panthers nail first-round selection of Makai Lemon in latest mock

Southern California Trojans wide receiver Makai Lemon (6) celebrates after catching a 32-yard touchdown pass | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Even before free agency, the Panthers hinted that they'd take a third straight first-round wide receiver if the board fell that way. They want the best player regardless of the position.

But after getting the roster in much better shape in free agency, a pass-catcher seems highly likely. The Panthers need more of those, and there are likely to be some available when they're on the board.

In Underdog's Hayden Winks' latest mock, he believes they'll take Makai Lemon. This is not an unpopular decision, as other mock drafts have predicted as much.

This is my current predictive mock draft.https://t.co/NN6PB4GLlg. pic.twitter.com/8OJlp6V5O9
— Hayden Winks (@HaydenWinks) April 2, 2026

What's new here is the value. Beside every single one of Winks' first-round predictions is a value marker. For Keldric Faulk, for example, being picked 24th is good value because the Cleveland Browns got him six spots lower than expected.

The Panthers getting Lemon 19th means he fell eight spots, the highest mark in this mock draft. It's tied with, ironically, another wide receiver. Jordyn Tyson being drafted 23rd overall is also eight spots lower than expected.

The Panthers would be glad if either Lemon or Tyson fell into their laps, and it's not clear what they'd do if both were there. Carnell Tate is WR1, but experts differ on WR2 being Lemon or Tyson.

USC Trojans wide receiver Makai Lemon (6) runs down field for a touchdown | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

In this case, the big board has Lemon ranked higher (11th overall), which is why he has more value. But either one would be a steal and a fantastic addition. If this is how the first round goes, it'll be a win for the Panthers.

Interestingly enough, Kenyon Sadiq, the only tight end mocked to go in the first round at all, does not get picked by Carolina here. He's widely expected to go to the Panthers since he's TE1 and they have a need, but Winks believes he's gone, and they may rather pick Lemon and get much better value anyway.