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The Unheralded Panthers Rookie Who Might Be Better Than We Think

Panthers’ GM Dan Morgan addressed both sides of the football in April’s draft. He may have found a future starter on Day 3 that will be a factor as a rookie.
Russell Baxter|
Feb 27, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Texas A&M defensive back Will Lee III (DB18) during the NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Feb 27, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Texas A&M defensive back Will Lee III (DB18) during the NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

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Carolina Panthers

The Carolina Panthers’ defense came a long way in 2025 after a miserable showing during Dave Canales’s debut campaign the previous year. Among their many shortcomings that season was the fact that the club managed a mere 32 sacks and allowed an NFL-high 35 touchdown passes in 17 regular-season outings.

Carolina’s secondary made big strides in 2025

This past season, the Panthers overcame a 1-3 start to finish 8-9 and the winner of the NFC South. The team came up short, 34-31, in their playoff loss to the Rams. It was the second season in Charlotte for the cornerback duo of Jaycee Horn and Mike Jackson.

Carolina gave up a combined 23 touchdown passes in 18 total contests, and Horn and Jackson both wound up picking off five passes apiece in those games. The former was named to his second consecutive Pro Bowl, while Jackson was Pro Football Focus’ No. 3 cornerback in ’25.

Jackson is in the final year of a two-year, $10.5 million deal he signed in 2025, so it made sense that Panthers’ general manager Dan Morgan invested a fourth-round selection on cornerback Will Lee III, who ESPN’s Bill Barnwell made a member of his NFL All-Backup Team. He stated that his “6’2” frame and 89th percentile arm length make him a cornerback with the potential to physically compete at the line of scrimmage.”

CB Will Lee III’s versatility makes him a player worth watching

Meanwhile, this was part of NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein’s pre-draft evaluation on the intriguing Texas A&M product.

“Lee is better in man coverage than he is in zone,” stated Zierlein, “but he can handle both. Pure speed can break away from him, so he’ll need help on the roof as a pro. He has the length and timing to make plays on the football. However, he needs to play with more anticipation to match breaks and trigger more quickly from depth…Lee has traits and scheme versatility, toggling between quality backup and eventual starter as a prospect.”

Could Panthers’ rookie CB Will Lee III wind up being a Day 3 steal?

After one season at Kansas State, Lee spent the past two years with the Aggies. His three-season college resume saw him total four interceptions (1 returned for a touchdown), 24 passes defensed, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery in 36 contests. He comes off a season in which he totaled 50 tackles, one sack, and eight passes defensed.

Morgan’s latest draft received its share of accolades with selections such as tackle Monroe Freeling (1-Georgia), defensive tackle Lee Hunter (2-Texas Tech) and a pair of fifth-round bargains in center Sam Hecht (Kansas State) and safety Zakee Wheatley (Penn State). The choice of Lee went a bit under the radar, but he could wind up being an immediate contributor on Ejiro Evero’s improving defensive unit.

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Russell Baxter
RUSSELL BAXTER

Russell S. Baxter has been writing and researching the game of football for more than 40 years, and on numerous platforms. That includes television, as he spent more than two decades at ESPN, and was part of shows that garnered five Emmy Awards. He also spent the 2015 NFL season with Thursday Night Football on CBS/NFLN.

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