Panthers Predicted to Make Monumental Trade in Latest Mock Draft

In years past, Carolina Panthers GM Dan Morgan has moved up and down the draft board. He most notably traded up into the first round in 2024 and then moved up again in the second round. He was a little less aggressive in 2025.

Still, it is highly likely that the current catalog of picks the Panthers own will not be the exact ones they make in the draft next month. Even the 19th pick is liable to change if the draft board falls the right way.

With that in mind, FOX Sports' Rob Rang predicts the Panthers will move up to ensure they get the prospect they want.

Panthers trade up for Dillon Thieneman in latest mock

Oregon defensive back Dillon Thieneman helps inside linebacker Bryce Boettcher warm up | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Carolina Panthers need a safety. One could argue it's the last position they truly need to address in the draft since everything else was either already mostly established or was patched up in free agency.

Re-signing Nick Scott is a Band-Aid solution for a significant wound. It's not really going to help much, so the Panthers still need someone talented to go opposite Tre'von Moehrig on the back end of this revamped defense.

There's virtually no shot that Caleb Downs, even as a safety with some injury concerns, falls to Carolina anywhere close to 19. He's an incredible prospect, so he will be long gone no matter what happens.

Rob Rang of FOX Sports believes Dillon Thieneman is the second-best safety prospect in the draft, which is notable. With Downs going 10th to the Minnesota Vikings (after swapping with the Cincinnati Bengals), the Bengals could snag Thieneman right before Carolina gets on the board here.

However, to make sure that doesn't happen, Rang predicts a trade up a couple of spots so Carolina can fix its defense with one final, crucial move.

"Carolina GM Dan Morgan made a career at middle linebacker anticipating where ballcarriers were headed, and with Thieneman seemingly a perfect fit for the Vikings picking at No. 18 overall (or the Bengals in this scenario), the Panthers might need to trade up to secure his services," he said.

Oregon defensive back Dillon Thieneman carries the ball as the Oregon Ducks practice | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Because the Lions only have two top-120 picks, the Panthers can package the 19th and 119th pick as "fair compensation" to convince the Lions to drop down two picks, where they take Caleb Lomu instead.

Now, it's worth noting that Thieneman is not universally agreed-upon as the second-best safety. Some big boards and analysts rank Emmanuel McNeil-Warren higher, and in this mock, he went 25th.

So with that in mind, it might've been smarter for the Panthers to stand pat and take McNeil-Warren 19th or even trade down and grab a couple more mid-round draft picks to work with.