New Panthers Mock Draft Has Carolina Throwing Away First-Round Pick

The Carolina Panthers addressed so many needs in free agency that they now have almost total flexibility in the NFL draft. They can almost take the best player available regardless of position, although tight end and safety might still carry a bit of weight.

With that said, there's a difference between not needing something and picking a player who would be a backup and a luxury with the 19th overall pick, which is essentially what ESPN's Matt Miller predicted today.

ESPN analyst predicts Panthers waste pick on Olaivavega Ioane

Penn State offensive lineman Vega Ioane (OL30) during the NFL Scouting Combine | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Olaivavega Ioane is a good player. He's too good to be picked by the Carolina Panthers, who have two guards making over $45 million a year. Ioane can play center, but he's a natural guard and the Panthers signed Luke Fortner.

Taking a player like that 19th overall would make sense if Ioane was a can't-miss prospect that impossibly falls to the Panthers, but even then, it's a pick that doesn't make a ton of sense, yet it's Matt Miller's prediction.

"The Panthers have two highly paid guards in Damien Lewis and Robert Hunt, but they will be entering their age-29 and age-30 seasons, respectively. So there's a future need there, plus an immediate need at center," he argued.

"Ioane played left guard, center and right guard in college and has the power to be an effective run blocker at any position. Ioane sought to play with better movement and conditioning in 2025, and his stock soared because of it," Miller continued. "The Panthers could rebuild their offensive line around him and left tackle Ikem Ekwonu."

There's one small issue there, and it's that Ekwonu is injured and not under contract beyond 2026. Rebuilding the offensive line is not even necessary at this stage with Lewis and Hunt playing well and still under contract for two more years each, but Ekwonu may not even be a consideration for Carolina anymore.

That speaks to the greater need up front: an offensive tackle. Ekwonu may not play at all in his fifth-year option season, and Taylor Moton's a free agent after the 2027 season. He's also older than Lewis and Hunt, so tackle is much more important now.

Penn State Nittany Lions offensive lineman Olaivavega Ioane (71) against the Boise State Broncos | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Drafting for depth and versatility up front, especially on the interior, is not a bad idea at all, but not with the Panthers' first pick. They're picking 19th, which means the level of prospect is lower than they're used to.

Still, in Miller's own mock, there are better picks still on the board:

S Emmanuel McNeil-Warren
OT Kadyn Proctor
EDGE Cashius Howell
IDL Peter Woods
EDGE Keldric Faulk

Others would also make more sense than Ioane. He's a good prospect, but he's a prospect at one of the few spots the Panthers can definitely afford to wait on addressing in the NFL draft.