Panthers May Smartly Double Down on WR Draft Plans, Insider Suggests

It certainly seems like the Carolina Panthers are going to spend an early pick on a pass-catcher. What if they spent two? CBS Sports analyst Mike Renner's mock draft suggests they will.

He gave them Texas A&M wideout KC Concepcion in the first round, Texas Tech IDL Lee Hunter in the second, and Tennessee wide receiver Chris Brazzell II in the third round to conclude his three-round mock.

It may seem a little foolish to spend two top-100 selections on one position. It might seem even more foolish when considering the fact that the Panthers have also spent two consecutive first-round picks on wide receivers.

It's actually not, though, and it could be a genius move. Here's why the Panthers might want to strongly consider taking two pass-catchers early on in the NFL draft.

Panthers drafting two receivers? It's not as silly as it seems

Aggies wide receiver KC Concepcion (7) returns a punt during the second half | Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

Even if it doesn't go down as Mike Renner suggested, the idea of a first-round receiver and a third-round receiver is kind of brilliant.

The Panthers seem like a team that has plenty of wide receivers, but they're not. Tetairoa McMillan will be around for a while. Jalen Coker, assuming he does get extended eventually, will be, too. Xavier Legette has some time left before his deal is up, but he's also been a bust.

Beyond that, the depth chart is thin. Jimmy Horn Jr. projects as the longest-tenured receiver there, and that's only because his rookie deal has three years left. Everyone else is either a one-year deal veteran (David Moore), a likely-to-fail reclamation (John Metchie), or a special teamer (Brycen Tremayne).

So in reality, the Panthers have McMillan and Coker, because Legette is trending down the depth chart and may not survive his rookie contract at this point. Two receivers is not enough, which is why the Panthers are probably going to draft one.

But doubling down helps the problem even more. This would be about the future more so than the present, but imagine a long-term wide receiver room of McMillan, Coker, KC Concepcion, Chris Brazzell, Horn Jr., and Legette.

That top four is excellent, and having Horn as the gadget guy behind them could be something special. Legette, in this scenario, is a nonfactor, so the Panthers aren't hurting by having their WR3 be essentially useless.

That may sound like overkill, but at least through 2029 (again assuming Coker signs an extension), three of the four receivers would be on rookie contracts. That's a smart way to manage the likely Bryce Young extension that will eat the cap, giving him weapons to work with that don't cost an exorbitant amount of money.

The alternative path that achieves the same goal is to draft tight end Kenyon Sadiq and then grab Brazzell in the third round. This gives the Panthers two more excellent pass-catchers without investing in one position too heavily.

Oregon Ducks tight end Kenyon Sadiq (18) looks on before the game | Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images

Sadiq was off the board in Renner's mock, but the logic here still remains. The Panthers could and probably should add two pass-catchers fairly early on. Maybe that means Concepcion in round one and a tight end, like Eli Stowers, Oscar Delp, or Justin Joly, later on.

To maximize Bryce Young, give Brad Idzik all the tools he needs in his first year as play-caller, and take the next step as an offense, this would be the smartest strategy.

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