Panthers NFL Draft Mailbag: Answering the Biggest Questions Surrounding Carolina

It's one week from draft night, and it's still pretty hard to determine fact or fiction when it comes to the Carolina Panthers. The work done in free agency has made their draft plans a little less clear, and nobody seems to know much for certain.

To that end, we've got a ton of questions to answer. Of course, the only one who knows anything truly is GM Dan Morgan, but it's still a good opportunity to try to get some clarity regarding this team in the NFL draft.

Panthers draft mailbag Q&A

Will the Panthers draft a tight end? If so, when?

Oregon Ducks tight end Kenyon Sadiq (18) looks on before the game against the James Madison Dukes | Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images

This discussion mostly hinges on Kenyon Sadiq. Will the Panthers spend the 19th pick on him? I highly doubt that. Dan Morgan's recent comments seem to suggest that they will not, as he likes the TE room and likes some late-round prospects.

Speaking of, while it may seem pointless to spend a mid-round draft pick on a tight end for the third straight year, the Panthers may do that. It's more likely they draft Eli Stowers, Oscar Delp, or even Justin Joly than Sadiq.

What, then, will be their first pick?

Based on Carolina's top-30 visits, it really seems like they're interested in a wide receiver. KC Concepcion and Denzel Boston both fit into that range, and if Makai Lemon does happen to fall (which is unlikely), then he might be an option, too.

Dan Morgan specifically said there's no rule against drafting a wide receiver three first rounds in a row, so it's certainly an option, and the wide receiver room is in rough enough shape to more than justify that. The first pick, we believe, should not be a tackle, although that's probably an option, too.

Why no tackle 19th overall?

Tackles tend to get overdrafted because of positional value. Aside from that, though, it's not an immediate need for the Panthers. Taylor Moton and Rasheed Walker are more than capable of holding it down for 2027.

They should eventually draft a tackle since Walker and Ikem Ekwonu will be free agents at the end of the season, and Moton the year after that. But they just can't afford to draft for depth and development in the first round when so many actual holes exist.

Will the Panthers do much defensive drafting?

Texas Longhorns linebacker Anthony Hill Jr. (0) celebrates after | Jordan Prather-Imagn Images

After the free agency period, the Panthers' defense is in pretty good shape. However, it's still not perfect. There are still holes, and depth is very much needed. The offense should be and probably will be the focus, but there will be plenty of defensive picks.

I fully expect at least one safety, linebacker, edge rusher, or interior lineman to be drafted within the first three rounds. If I had to guess, I'd say Morgan will nab one of the second-round linebackers he met with, Jacob Rodriguez or Anthony Hill Jr.

Will Carolina actually spend draft capital on a backup quarterback?

The Panthers signed Kenny Pickett to be the backup quarterback, and they firmly believe in Bryce Young. But they will need another backup in 2027, because Pickett is only on a one-year deal after signing in free agency.

I don't expect them to spend any amount of valuable draft capital on a backup quarterback, but they seem very much poised to pick one eventually. I'd expect one of the fifth-round picks or the 200th overall pick to be used on someone they visited with, but nothing more.

Will Dan Morgan trade up or down in the first round?

It is very possible that Dan Morgan ends up with something other than the 19th pick. The Panthers have been aggressive in moving around during his tenure, though he hasn't ever traded up or down with a first-round pick he already owned.

It is far more likely that he trades down than up, and it's far more likely that the moving around begins after the first round, but we can't discount anything after how aggressive he was during the free agency period.

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