Panthers Given Mandate to Pick Clemson OT and 1 Other Prospect for A+ Draft

The Carolina Panthers have the 19th and 51st picks in the first two rounds of the NFL draft. Those two picks are the most important. Nailing them will give them a good draft class overall and give them two impactful players.

Who should they pick? There are a ton of options. Essentially, they have two shots at landing top-50 prospects, and it's important that they pick the right ones. To that end, one NFL insider has exactly two prospects to pick if Carolina wants to ace this draft.

Panthers urged to pick Blake Miller, Brandon Cisse in first two rounds

Virginia Tech Hokies wide receiver Donavon Greene (3) tries to make a one handed catch behind South Carolina Gamecocks defensive back Brandon Cisse | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

Last year, the Panthers really nailed the draft. They did well in later rounds, but the biggest reason they did so well is because they used their first two picks to great effect.

Tetairoa McMillan was the Rookie of the Year, and Nic Scourton led the team in sacks and set the rookie pressures record. They're both a big reason Carolina took such a step forward in 2025.

To repeat that, NFL.com analyst Eric Edholm believes the Panthers must draft Clemson offensive tackle Blake Miller with the 19th pick and follow him up with South Carolina cornerback Brandon Cisse with the 51st.

"Carolina has never drafted a player out of Clemson. That streak would end here with Miller, who can replace Taylor Moton after this season and, at the very least, step in as a quality option if needed in the meantime. Moton has been an iron man for years, but the Panthers could add more athleticism up front," Edholm wrote.

Moton is under contract for 2026 and 2027, but since he is an aging tackle, the Panthers definitely need to start planning for the future. Other than Rasheed Walker, the other starting tackle, the Panthers have just Stone Forsythe under contract, and both he and Walker are on one-year deals.

Edholm continued, "Their second pick, Cisse, also would be local, but that was strictly a coincidence. Carolina could stand to add more depth and speed to its defensive back end, as well."

The Panthers signed Walker so they wouldn't necessarily have to take a tackle in the first round, but it's not the worst idea. But is Miller worth that pick? Similarly, will Cisse be around at 51? Here's what the big boards say.

Miller:

NFL (Daniel Jeremiah): 19
Bleacher Report: 43
FOX Sports (Joel Klatt): 18
PFF: 25
CBS Sports: 22
ESPN: 32
The Ringer: 51
The Athletic: 42
Tankathon: 29

Cisse:

NFL (Daniel Jeremiah): 43
Bleacher Report: 53
FOX Sports (Joel Klatt): 49
PFF: 41
CBS Sports: 61
ESPN: 43
The Ringer: 38
The Athletic: 41
Tankathon: 40

Picking Cisse would be a pretty good move at 51, since most big boards have him either right in that range or higher. Picking Miller at 19 might not be, as his average big board ranking is 31. It might not be the best value, even if Edholm disagrees.