Carolina Panthers Could Draft Next Puka Nacua in Middle Rounds of NFL Draft

By most accounts, Puka Nacua is the best wide receiver in the NFL. He's the sort of matchup nightmare the Carolina Panthers don't yet have. They do have Tetairoa McMillan, but he doesn't do what Nacua does.

Nacua is locked in with the Los Angeles Rams, and that's highly unlikely to change. He's also going to be a more expensive player than the Panthers could afford, even if he became available.

So while the actual Nacua, one of the biggest draft steals in the entire NFL, isn't coming to Charlotte, the next version of him could be in the NFL draft.

Panthers target KC Concepcion hailed as next Puka Nacua

Aggies wide receiver KC Concepcion (7) returns a punt for a touchdown during the second half | Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

The Panthers had a local visit with KC Concepcion, the Texas A&M wide receiver from the area who originally played for NC State. It means he's likely on their draft board, and he could end up joining the offense next month.

PFF analyst Lauren Gray said that Concepcion is the closest similarity to Puka Nacua in terms of an NFL draft steal in the middle rounds. He's not going to be Nacua, but he could be a similar archetype that ends up as a major steal this year.

"Concepcion is smaller than Nacua with better quickness and elite separation ability (96th percentile). A 9.0% career drop rate is Concepcion’s biggest red flag. However, he still racked up 114 catches for 1,379 yards, 15 touchdowns, and a 72.9 PFF receiving grade," Gray wrote.

Highlighting his versatility, she added, "Concepcion played primarily from the slot (1,083 snaps) but also earned a 71.9 PFF receiving grade across 86 outside targets." That would give the Panthers a Rams-esque ability to shuffle their receivers around.

Like Nacua, Concepcion also did well on contested catches, something the Panthers need. He caught 17 of 35 contested targets for 10 touchdowns and a 75.6 PFF receiving grade. Those are good numbers.

"[He] logged 70.0-plus PFF receiving grades at every level beyond the line of scrimmage, grading out best from 20-plus yards, where he brought in 17 of 48 targets for 534 yards and five touchdowns. He also showed an ability to win against both coverage schemes, recording 78.0-plus PFF receiving grades against man (78.3) and zone (78.5) looks in 2025," Gray concluded.

Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua (12) reacts after a catch against the Seattle Seahawks | Kevin Ng-Imagn Images

The only question is where the Panthers may be able to get him. He has already been linked to the Panthers in a mock draft. Daniel Jeremiah's 3.0 draft sent Concepcion to Charlotte, but in the first round.

"The Panthers add more firepower for Bryce Young. With his ability to separate before and after the catch, Concepcion forms a strong pass-catching trio with Tetairoa McMillan and Jalen Coker," Jeremiah wrote.

That would go against PFF's mid-to-late-round steal assessment of Concepcion, but if you're drafting the next Puka Nacua, it doesn't matter as much where you get him. It just matters that you do.