Ranking the Carolina Panthers' Draft Classes From the Last 10 Years

The Carolina Panthers have had some major ups and downs in the NFL Draft in the last 10 years, during which they've had four different GMs. Here are all the draft classes ranked from worst to best in that time ahead of the 2026 class joining this list next month.

2016

Vernon Butler (Louisiana Tech) with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell after being selected by the Carolina Panthers | Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

We're at the 10-year anniversary of the worst class in the last decade for the Panthers. Vernon Butler at 30 overall is one of those picks that destroys a franchise. They could've had Hunter Henry, Myles Jack, Chris Jones, Derrick Henry, Michael Thomas, or Tyler Boyd. Honestly, even A'Shawn Robinson would've been a better pick.

James Bradberry in the second round is the saving grace, but Daryl Worley after him was not a great pick. Neither was taking Zack Sanchez and Beau Sandland later on. This draft class aged poorly rather quickly, other than Bradberry.

2023

2023 is pretty bad. Bryce Young is the only saving grace since he's still the franchise QB, but the haul they traded for him was one of the most detrimental moves any team has made in a while. The rest of the picks are pretty abysmal, too.

Jonathan Mingo in the second round is egregiously bad. DJ Johnson, Chandler Zavala, and Jammie Robinson are nonfactors, too. Only Young even remains on the roster, and this was literally just three years ago. That's not going to cut it.

2024

Dan Morgan's first draft as GM was not a good one. He traded up for Xavier Legette, moving back into the first round after having lost the number one overall pick in the Bryce Young deal. That alone is enough to sink this draft class.

He also traded up for Jonathon Brooks, a good player who has now suffered two torn ACLs on the same knee. He might never be the same, and the Panthers traded up in the second round for him. Trevin Wallace, Ja'Tavion Sanders, Chau Smith-Wade, and Jaden Crumedy remain active NFL players, but they're not very good.

2019

Brian Burns was a fantastic selection in the first round in 2019. He was a standout for many years before foolish front office executives fumbled it and eventually traded him. Otherwise, this class is pretty weak. Greg Little at 37 is a historically bad selection.

Will Grier in the third round over CJ Gardner-Johnson is an especially heinous mistake. The other picks (Jordan Scarlett, Christian Miller, Dennis Daley, and Terry Godwin) were bad picks, too. There's not much to write home about other than Burns, who was really good.

2020

Drafting Derrick Brown over Isaiah Simmons was such a brilliant move that this class may deserve a little more love. The trouble is that the rest of it is awful. Brown, a borderline All-Pro talent, is doing the heavy lifting, but his counterparts in an all-defense draft were largely misses.

Jeremy Chinn was excellent as a rookie, but his usage dropped and he's nothing more than a journeyman role player now. Yetur Gross-Matos didn't pan out, and the rest of the class (Troy Pride Jr., Kenny Robinson, Brauyvion Roy, and Stantley Thomas-Oliver) were bad and are out of the NFL now.

2022

North Carolina State offensive tackle Ikem Ekwonu with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell | Gary Vasquez-Imagn Images

Make no mistake, 2022's class was not strong. Ikem Ekwonu and Cade Mays are the only NFL players left from this class, but they were both pretty good. Ekwonu was inconsistent, but he did lock down an important spot on the offense for four years and was due for an extension before a crushing injury.

Mays is gone now, too, but finding him in the fifth round makes up for picking Matt Corral, Brandon Smith, Amare Barno, and Kalon Barnes with the other picks. If not for Ekwonu and Mays, this would be a much worse class. It's only been four years, and the two linemen are the only active NFL players left.

2018

DJ Moore was a good pick back in 2018, giving the Panthers the WR1 they really needed. Picking him over Calvin Ridley was fairly smart, too. Donte Jackson, for as frustrating as he was, was not a bad second-round selection, either.

Ian Thomas was mostly a bust, but at least he's still in the NFL. The rest of the class was not terrible, especially fifth-round linebacker Jermaine Carter and seventh-round linebacker Andre Smith. Kendrick Norton and Rashaan Gaulden were the real misfires.

2021

Carolina Panthers cornerback Jaycee Horn (8) reacts after the NFC Wild Card Round | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Drafting Jaycee Horn eighth overall over Patrick Surtain is a tough pill to swallow, but Horn remains a phenomenal player, so it's fine. This class had a ton of picks: 11, to be exact. Only six of them remain active NFL players, and only five were good for the Panthers, but that's a good hit rate.

Chuba Hubbard, Horn, Brady Christensen, and Tommy Tremble were contributors just last season, with Hubbard and Horn being two of the faces of the team. Terrace Marshall Jr. being the 59th pick is worth docking this class a few points, though.

2017

The Panthers really aced it in 2017. Christian McCaffrey is a future Hall of Famer, and they picked him somewhat controversially in the top 10. They added Curtis Samuel, who has had a really nice career, and Taylor Moton in the second round. Moton remains the Panthers' best lineman.

In the seventh round, they drafted Harrison Butker, which was a great move. Letting him go after camp in favor of Graham Gano was not. Alex Armah was a decent fullback for a time, but Corn Elder and Daeshon Hall didn't really work out well.

2025

Arizona Wildcats receiver Tetairoa McMillan is selected as the No. 8 pick of the Carolina Panthers | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

This was an excellent class. Of course, drafting eventual Rookie of the Year Tetairoa McMillan is a home run, but they got contributors everywhere. The only misfires in eight selections are Trevor Etienne in the fourth round and Cam Jackson in the fifth.

Otherwise, they got a stud wide receiver, a solid edge rusher, another decent edge rusher who was actually more explosive than his counterpart, a good tight end, and a decent safety. They got a ton of production out of them all right away, which helps solidify this as one of the best classes in Panthers history.