Panthers NFL Draft Rumors: What’s Real, What’s Smoke, and What to Watch

Here's everything you need to know about the Panthers before the draft tomorrow.

Oregon defensive back Dillon Thieneman helps inside linebacker Bryce Boettcher warm up | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

There's been a ton of reporting and rumor-circulating in the pre-draft process, which is normal. We're all speculating about what the Carolina Panthers will do, which is largely based on speculation about what the teams ahead of them will do.

It's hard to tell what's real until the actual draft occurs, but we can look at the information we do have, what the team has done in the scouting process, and that can help us cut through the facade and get to the real thing.

What's Real: Interest in pass-catchers

wideout KC Concepcion (WO16) during the NFL Scouting Combine | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Panthers have a very real interest in pass-catchers all throughout the draft, not just in the first round. However, that's where one is highly likely to come from. Dan Morgan joked that there's no rule against three consecutive first-round WRs.

Plus, take a look at their top-30 visits. Several have been spent on pass-catchers:

• WR KC Concepcion
• TE Oscar Delp
• WR Omar Cooper Jr.
• WR Chris Brazzell
• WR Deion Burks
• TE Dae'Quan Wright
• WR Denzel Boston

That's more than 25% of the 30 visits they've had spent on pass-catchers, when those two positions represent just over 9% of an NFL starting lineup. There's a clear interest in adding weapons, and that's not a smokescreen.

What's Smoke: Kenyon Sadiq

Did you happen to notice a big name at tight end not present on the list? Kenyon Sadiq, everyone's favorite projected Panther, was not there. The Panthers, as far as any reporting can tell, have not even bothered to meet with him, virtually, in-person, or at the Combine.

Mock drafts swear he's an option, but he doesn't seem like one. When asked, Dan Morgan highlighted late-round prospects and the tight ends on the roster, seemingly putting Sadiq out of mind. All the talk about adding Sadiq makes sense, but it's absolutely smoke.

What to Watch: Safety versus wide receiver

Toledo Rockets safety Emmanuel McNeil-Warren (22) against the Wyoming Cowboys | Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

The Panthers are likely to pick either a safety or a wide receiver in the first round. Ultimately, it all depends on who's available. There's talk about Dillon Thieneman going to the Panthers, but he might be taken before by the Minnesota Vikings.

Emmanuel McNeil-Warren is another option, but would the Panthers opt for the third-best prospect (who some aren't convinced is a first-rounder anyway) over a pass-catcher to help Bryce Young? That doesn't seem likely.

So truly, what we all need to watch is where Thieneman goes. If he's on the board, there's a good chance he's Dan Morgan's pick. If he's not, it is far more likely that he pivots to KC Concepcion or Omar Cooper Jr. over McNeil-Warren.