Panthers acquire two top 50 picks in 7-round mock draft to bolster defense

It's the start of a new week which means it's time for a new seven-round Carolina Panthers On SI mock draft.

This week, we have the Panthers trading out of the top 10 and picking up two additional top 50 selections.

RD1, Pick 18: S Nick Emmanwori (South Carolina)

Oct 12, 2024; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks defensive back Nick Emmanwori (7) during the first half at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Butch Dill-Imagn Images | Butch Dill-Imagn Images

Projected trade details

Seahawks receive: No. 8, No. 74

Panthers receive: No. 18, No. 50, No. 52

GM Dan Morgan has made it pretty clear that the Panthers are open to trading back and picking up additional assets. They can slide to the middle of the round and still land a quality defensive player that will immediately improve the league's worst unit. Nick Emmanwori is a versatile, do-it-all safety who can be a disrupter in the back end but be a game wrecker in the box. There's a chance his body continues to fill out, and he ends up becoming a full-time linebacker. Either way, he's an intriguing prospect that Ejiro Evero can do a lot of things with. Seattle makes the trade to come up and get Missouri OT Armand Membou.

RD2, Pick 50: LB Carson Schwesinger (UCLA)

Nov 30, 2024; Pasadena, California, USA; UCLA Bruins linebacker Carson Schwesinger (49) Fresno State Bulldogs tight end Jake Tarwater (87) during the third quarter at Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images | Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images

This is the second straight week I'm mocking Schwesinger to the Panthers. He's a hard-nosed kid who's had to grind for everything he's accomplished. He walked on at UCLA and was buried on the depth chart at the start of his career. In 2024, he proved to be one of the best pure tacklers in college football, leading the nation in solo stops with 90.

RD2, Pick 52: DL Walter Nolen (Ole Miss)

Sep 28, 2024; Oxford, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi Rebels defensive linemen Walter Nolen (2) waits for the snap during the second half against the Kentucky Wildcats at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

Carolina beefs up its defensive line with Nolen, who can play multiple spots but will likely settle in on the interior. The Panthers just signed Bobby Brown III and already have Shy Tuttle, but Nolen has the skillset and the potential to surpass one of them, if not both by year two.

RD2, Pick 57: WR Jalen Royals (Utah State)

Mar 1, 2025; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Utah State wideout Jalen Royals (WO38) during the 2025 NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Carolina finally gets Bryce Young another weapon to work with in the form of Utah State's Jalen Royals. The Powder Springs, Georgia native has been ultra-productive over the last two seasons, hauling in a combined 126 passes for 1,914 yards and 21 touchdowns.

RD4, Pick 111: EDGE Josiah Stewart (Michigan)

I like what the Panthers did in free agency, adding to its pass rush, but you can never have enough of those guys. Josiah Stewart is a low-risk, high-reward type of pick here in the fourth round. He needs to pack on a little more weight but from a playmaking standpoint, he knows how to create havoc in the backfield. He notched 48 tackles for loss and 30 sacks in his collegiate career.

The rest of the picks

Jan 30, 2025; Mobile, AL, USA; National team quarterback Dillon Gabriel of Oregon (8) works through drills during Senior Bowl practice for the National team at Hancock Whitney Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vasha Hunt-Imagn Images | Vasha Hunt-Imagn Images

RD4, Pick 114: QB Dillon Gabriel (Oregon)

RD5, Pick 140: OT Chase Lundt (UConn)

Projected trade

Jaguars receive: No. 146

Panthers receive: Jaguars 2026 6th round pick, Seahawks 2026 6th round pick

RD5, Pick 163: WR Kyle Williams (Washington State)

RD7, Pick 230: CB Upton Stout (Western Kentucky)

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