Carolina Panthers seven-round NFL mock draft 1.0 following playoff exit

The Carolina Panthers will officially pick 19th in the NFL draft following their heartbreaking exit from the NFL playoffs. Their picks are mostly set in stone now, so it's a good time to do a mock draft and see who they can get.

Carolina Panthers mock draft

1.19: Kenyon Sadiq, Oregon TE

When the Panthers got on the clock with the 19th pick, there weren't any edge rushers in that range, and the trade-back offers weren't great, so we went with tight end Kenyon Sadiq, a very likely pick.

Going pass-catcher in round one twice in a row is a bold strategy, but the Panthers have badly needed a tight end since Greg Olsen left, so this fills a major hole and helps Bryce Young out.

2.51: Dillon Thieneman, Oregon S

With the 51st pick, the Panthers went back to the Oregon well. Safety isn't as big of a need as edge rusher, but with the Panthers potentially signing someone there, they can afford to skip and get a safety.

Dillon Thieneman was The Athletic's 47th-ranked prospect, and the Panthers need to find someone to replace Nick Scott. Lathan Ransom is good, but he's too similar to Tre'von Moehrig for them to both be starters.

3.85: Akheem Mesidor, Florida EDGE

The Panthers were offered a 2027 fifth-rounder to move down from 83 to 85, so we took it. There, the Panthers did add another edge rusher, a prospect to eventually fill out the depth chart alongside Nic Scourton and Princely Umanmielen: Akheem Mesidor.

4.119: PJ Williams, SMU OT

The Panthers could use some more tackle depth, especially with neither Taylor Moton or Ikem Ekwonu being under a very long contract. In the case of Ekwonu, he might not play at all in 2026, so the Panthers nabbed PJ Williams.

Regardless of the future, the Panthers do need immediate depth at tackle, and this pick provides just that. It also likely doesn't impact Ekwonu's future role, as a fourth-rounder is unlikely to outplay him when both are healthy.

5.159: Jacob Rodriguez, Texas Tech LB

The draft board hasn't been kind to maybe the biggest non-edge need the Panthers have: linebacker. Finally, though, the Panthers do add someone who can somewhat help improve that major area of weakness in Jacob Rodriguez.

Rodriguez isn't a top-tier prospect, but it doesn't take much to be a useful addition to the current middle of the Panthers' defense, and there won't be a ton of competition for playing time as it stands now.

5.163: Febechi Nwaiwu, Oklahoma G

The Panthers have made a living out of building through the trenches. In 2024, it was the offensive trenches, and in 2025, it was on defense. You can never have too much depth up front, as the 2025 Panthers learned, so they select Febechi Nwaiwu.

The Panthers have some things in flux in terms of Robert Hunt's health, Cade Mays' FA status, as well as the health of Brady Christensen and Chandler Zavala, so adding an interior lineman at this stage is never a bad idea.

6.197: Andre Fuller, Toledo CB

The Panthers have maybe the best cornerback duo in football, but beyond Jaycee Horn and Mike Jackson, it's fairly slim. When Horn got hurt, Akayleb Evans had to play on the most important drive of the year. Adding Andre Fuller could help that in the future.

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