Go bold at No. 8? Penn State TE Tyler Warren named 'ideal' pick for Carolina Panthers

Pass rusher, cornerback, linebacker, safety, interior defensive lineman...you name it, the Carolina Panthers defense needs it. Fortunately for them, they can add an immediate impact player to that side of the ball with the eighth overall pick...or they could go in a completely different direction and draft a weapon for third-year quarterback Bryce Young.

NFL.com's Chad Reuter identified the top two ideal picks for every team, and for Carolina, he penciled in a pair of Penn State Nittany Lions - tight end Tyler Warren and safety Kevin Winston Jr.

Pen State tight end Tyler Warren speaks to the media at the 2025 NFL Combine. | Clark Wade/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

"The Panthers might have bigger needs on their roster than at tight end, but they are unlikely to find a more impactful player on offense than Warren. His presence as a safety valve and red-zone threat would aid's progression as a third-year starter. In this scenario, they take Winston -- a rangy, secure tackler -- to play beside free-agent pick-up. By taking two prospects from the same school with their first two picks, they follow the lead of the Rams (who actually traded Carolina this year's 57th overall pick as part of the process of pairing Jared Verse and Braden Fiske of Florida State) and Jaguars (who took Brian Thomas Jr. and Maason Smith out of LSU) last year."

Do the picks make sense?

Sep 16, 2023; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions safety Kevin Winston Jr. (21) tackles Illinois Fighting Illini running back Josh McCray (0) after McCray caught a short pass during the second half at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images | Ron Johnson-Imagn Images

Warren is a terrific player, don't get me wrong, but the Panthers have more pressing needs than a tight end. Yes, tight ends are valued much differently today than, say, 15-20 years ago, but still, this defense needs a lot of tender loving care. Passing up on an impact player for the league's worst defense at eight would be a huge mistake.

As for the second-round pick of Winston, it doesn't move the needle much for me. There are injury concerns there and if safety is where they want to go with that pick, there will likely be better options on the board.

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