One Thing the Carolina Panthers Cannot Afford to Get Wrong in the NFL Draft

The Carolina Panthers will make mistakes during the NFL draft. It is inevitable. Even the best draft classes in franchise history have had some misfires. They even missed last year, like taking Trevor Etienne over Elic Ayomanor or Tory Horton.

It's all about mitigating the mistakes and making sure to do well in the right places. The first round is typically where that's most important, and it is for Carolina this year. But it's not the most important thing, per se.

There's one thing that, first round or not, this team absolutely must do right in order to continue improving. They have to find the right pass-catcher(s) for this offense and for Bryce Young.

The Panthers can't afford another Xavier Legette situation

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell announces South Carolina Gamecocks receiver Xavier Legette | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Panthers wanted to get Bryce Young a weapon in the 2024 NFL draft. They traded up (one pick) into the first round to get Xavier Legette, a player they wanted so badly they moved up to ensure the fifth-year option as a possibility.

That obviously didn't pan out. Getting a pass-catcher was the right call, but Legette was not. Off the top of our heads, we immediately know that passing on Ladd McConkey was the crushing mistake, but there were better pass-catchers available other than him.

For what it's worth, Keon Coleman, also viewed as a mistake over McConkey, is better than Legette. Jalen McMillan, Troy Franklin, and Devontez Walker are probably better, too. If they wanted just a pass-catcher, they could've taken tight ends AJ Barner or Cade Stover.

The idea to get a pass-catcher was sound, and it's sound again this year. But just like in 2024, they cannot afford to mess it up. They have to determine whether they need a wide receiver or a tight end more, and they have to determine when to make that selection and on whom.

The options are nearly endless. In the first round, they could draft Kenyon Sadiq, Denzel Boston, KC Concepcion, or Omar Cooper Jr. In the second, they could target Germie Bernard, Eli Stowers, Chris Brazzell, or Zachariah Branch.

Georgia Bulldogs wide receiver Zachariah Branch (1) gestures after a first down | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

In the third, there's Ted Hurst, Deion Burks, Max Klare, and Bryce Lance. Beyond that round, it's hard to imagine them finding a great player to slot into their offense, but they can still target players like CJ Daniels, Kevin Coleman Jr., Marlin Klein, and Oscar Delp.

All of these could be good options at different places in the draft. It's not all about a first-round prospect, but it is about the right player to fit the offense and maximize Bryce Young. In his fourth year and ahead of the fifth-year option, that is vital.

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