The Carolina Panthers Just Had the Best Draft In the Entire NFL

The Panthers played the board well, finding talented prospects who shouldn't have been where they were, and didn't reach on anyone too early

Dec 14, 2025; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Detailed shot of a Carolina Panthers helmet on the grass before the game against the New Orleans Saints at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images | Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

After a ton of anticipation, projections, and mock drafts, the NFL Draft is over. The Carolina Panthers ended up going in a very different direction from what most mock drafts predicted, but even so, they had the best draft in the league. The theme of the Panthers' draft is value, meaning they selected prospects who shouldn’t have been there based on their rankings on most big boards. 

Here's a refresher on the Panthers' 2026 draft class for those who don’t know it.

19th – Monroe Freeling, OT, Georgia

49th – Lee Hunter, DT, Texas Tech

83rd – Chris Brazzell II, WR, Tennessee

129th – Will Lee, CB, Texas A&M

144th – Sam Hecht, C, Kansas State

151st - Zakee Wheatley, S, Penn State

227th – Jackson Kuwatch, LB, Miami (Ohio)

Why the Panthers Had the Best Draft

Oct 19, 2024; Austin, Texas, USA; Georgia Bulldogs offensive lineman Monroe Freeling (57) blocks Texas Longhorns edge rusher Trey Moore (8) in the second quarter at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Patzke-Imagn Images | Brett Patzke-Imagn Images

One thing that happens every NFL Draft is that teams reach for prospects and take them higher than they should because they like them or evaluate them differently from the consensus big boards do. The Panthers did the opposite, not reaching for a prospect at all, and playing the board as they see fit. 

Just going to leave this here…

We will discuss this at length on next week’s episode of JJ and Luke!

h/t: @sfdata9ers pic.twitter.com/CkOoLpRCp2

— JJ Jansen (@44DoubleJ) April 25, 2026

Outside of Jackson Kuwatch, the Panthers got tremendous value on all of their picks. Monroe Freeling was not supposed to be on the board at 19th, mostly projected to the Detroit Lions at 17, and even higher. Once he fell, it became clear the Panthers had to snag him and the immense upside that he brings at left tackle. 

Lee Hunter was one of the best inside defensive tackles in the country, earning first-team All-Big 12 honors and AP All-American recognition. Hunter is the perfect complement to Derrick Brown, bringing another big body, who is great at creating pressure. Alongside Brown, Hunter will help make the Panthers' run defense much better.

In the third round, the Panthers finally found another pass-catcher, a deep-ball threat from Tennessee, Chris Brazzell II. Brazzell brings a new element to the pass game, not in his physical makeup but in his elite ability to get downfield and win on go routes, using his vertical speed and big frame to come down with the ball.

Chris Brazzell II joins the Panthers at pick #83.

A new weapon for Bryce Young. 👀 pic.twitter.com/YpYcLY8mId

— Football Performances (@NFLPerformances) April 25, 2026

Brazzell will fit right in with the Panthers' receiving room, operating on the outside, and can either take the top off a defense or create more openings for Jalen Coker and Tetairoa McMillan.

Panthers Late Round Steals

Feb 28, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Kansas State offensive lineman Sam Hecht (OL27) speaks to members of the media during the NFL Combine at the Indiana Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Jacob Musselman-Imagn Images | Jacob Musselman-Imagn Images

The Panthers didn't just find key contributors in the first three rounds; the fourth and fifth rounds had some gems who were highly productive in college. Sam Hecht was the biggest steal of the Panthers draft class. Hecht received a 3rd/4th round grade in his NFL Combine profile, and the Panthers were able to snag him at pick 144 in the fifth round.

Sam Hecht has a great chance to start at center this season, and if not, at least get a ton of reps along with free agency signing Luke Fortner.

Will Lee III was another great late-round move. The fourth-round pick is known as "The Blanket" because of how well he stays on receivers he's covering, and he fits exactly what the Panthers want in a corner: tall, and with long arms. The Panthers could see him start at nickel this season, and potentially become the long-term Mike Jackson replacement.

Will Lee III in 2025:

💥 40 Solo tackles
👋 8 PBUs
💪 1 Sack

Carolina has secured its nickel corner 🪙#KeepPounding #NFLDraft pic.twitter.com/zHjkMXiIrp

— SleeperPanthers (@SleeperCarolina) April 25, 2026

Then there's Penn State safety Zakee Wheatley, an experienced safety with five seasons of experience and another big frame in the secondary. Wheatley was supposed to be a day-two pick, but ended up falling to day three. Wheatley has been described as a safety who has a nose for the ball, finishing his college career with 11 interceptions.

Wheatley is certainly going to have competition in the safety room this season, but with Nick Scott hitting 30 years old and on just a one-year deal, Wheatley has the skills and Football IQ to be the Panthers' long-term safety.