Panthers Projected to Take Enormous Risk on Top-10 Draft Prospect in 2027

While the Carolina Panthers play their first Sunday Night Football game in 10 years tomorrow night, it's never too early to look towards the spring, when the season is over and the draft boards are set.

The NFL Draft looms large for every team in the league, and teams quickly highlight their biggest roster needs. Carolina has mostly succeeded on offense throughout the first three weeks of the season.

QB Bryce Young has started the year exactly as Panthers fans wanted, taking another step forward and posting phenomenal numbers. Young leads the league in passing yards so far this season, throwing for at least 290 yards each game.

With Young playing well, Carolina doesn't need to look at QB options in this loaded class just yet. One mock draft has the Panthers selecting an elite talent, though with some concerns.

Panthers Select EDGE Dylan Stewart in 2027 Mock Draft

Dylan Stewart against Old Dominion — USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

As far as pass rush goes, the past year has been brutal for Carolina. In 2025, the Panthers had the NFL's worst pass rush, finishing in the bottom three in both sacks and QB hits for the season.

After an awful pass-rush season, Carolina made a splash move, signing Jaelan Phillips to a lucrative multi-year deal. Thats where the positive news ends, though.

On the first day of training camp, Phillips' running mate and rising star, Nic Scourton, tore his ACL, ending his season before it even began. Given all that, if Carolina is picking in the top 10, then of course another premier pass rusher makes sense.

CBS Sports' Mike Renner dropped his 2027 NFL Mock Draft. In that mock, the Panthers were picking seventh overall and selected South Carolina EDGE Dylan Stewart.

Stewart is a monster off the edge. Over two seasons and into the beginning of 2026, he's posted 57 tackles, 37 of them solo, 11 sacks, 6 forced fumbles, and 3 passes defended.

Entering this season, there was real buzz about Stewart being the best overall player in this class, regardless of position. Now, through four weeks of the college football season, Stewart's draft stock has only tanked; here's why.

The Risks That Come With Dylan Stewart

Dylan Stewart rushing the pass — IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Stewart started the season injured, missing the first two games due to a lingering back injury. That's not the worst part, though. Stewart's behavior has become one of the biggest stories in all of college football.

In a blowout loss to Alabama, Stewart's awful temper dominated the headlines. Two major incidents occurred, the first was an act of violence, in which Stewart punched Alabama TE Josh Ford after the Crimson Tide scored a touchdown.

The second piece of Stewart's misbehavior was disobeying his own coaching staff. Stewart was seen refusing to come out of the game despite coaches telling him to, which is completely inexcusable and will have NFL front offices questioning his character.

After the Alabama game, Stewart received two suspensions, the first coming from both the SEC and South Carolina, for one game due to the punch. The second is from South Carolina, and that suspension is indefinite.

Shane Beamer on what will determine Dylan Stewart returning to South Carolina's program:

"Me." pic.twitter.com/QXAFoUExfZ
— Underdog CFB (@UnderdogCFB) September 29, 2026

So now theres major questions about how much Stewart will actually play this season. Both suspensions are justified; losing your cool and taking it out on your opponent and even your own coaching staff is childish behavior.

That said, if Carolina's top need is indeed a pass rusher, and Texas' Colin Simmons is already off the board, then Dylan Stewart is the clear choice. Stewart's 6'5 ", 250-pound frame, combined with his absurd speed, makes him a can't-miss talent.

There has to be personal growth throughout the rest of this season. If Stewart wants to keep his draft stock high, he should use this as a wake-up call and act accordingly from here on out.

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