NFL Mock: Panthers Snag New Weapon With Kenyon Sadiq Off the Board

Plenty of mock drafts have been sending Oregon tight end Kenyon Sadiq to the Carolina Panthers. After free agency, it's the pick that makes the most sense. He's becoming this year's Jalon Walker.

We're not entirely sure the Panthers will make good on those mock drafts, but the pick does make a lot of sense. What if Sadiq, who had a brilliant combine and has been mocked anywhere between 10 and 25 in the first round, isn't there?

The Panthers could still go after a weapon, at least according to Charles Davis' latest mock draft.

Panthers draft Makai Lemon with Kenyon Sadiq gone in latest NFL mock draft

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

In Charles Davis' latest mock draft, Kenyon Sadiq isn't even there for the Panthers to pick, rendering the debate over him moot. In this scenario, Sadiq's skyrocket takes him all the way to 11th, landing with the Miami Dolphins.

So then what would the Panthers logically do in this scenario? They could go best player available, but Davis believes that they'll keep up their interest in providing Bryce Young another viable weapon to throw to.

So, the Panthers pick Makai Lemon instead of one of the following players:

Georgia LB CJ Allen
Georgia OT Monroe Freeling
Utah OT Caleb Lomu
Clemson IDL Peter Woods
Auburn EDGE Keldric Faulk
Ohio State IDL Kayden McDonald
Toledo S Emmanuel McNeil-Warren
Clemson CB Avieon Terrell

Any of those players would also make sense, but if the Panthers do want to beef up the passing game with Sadiq and he's not there, taking a wide receiver would make a lot of sense. Lemon is a good player, and the Panthers would be a little lucky if he was on the board at 19.

About Lemon, Davis was effusive in his praise for the player and the fit in Carolina's offense. He wrote, "A slot-routes master with a ton of toughness, Lemon complements 2025 OROY Tetairoa McMillan and gives QB Bryce Young another dynamic option."

That's exactly why the Panthers could use Lemon. He's a great complement to McMillan and Coker, and he's a different archetype. They have three big-bodied receivers, so the 5'11", 195-pound pass-catcher would be very different.

The Panthers have kept their plans close to the chest, and their free agency splurge leaves them needing very little specifically, so they could go in any direction. If they go with Lemon, it'd be hard to complain.