The 2025 NFL draft was so good to the Carolina Panthers that we’re already looking forward to next year’s selection process.

Here, courtesy of a few fresh mock drafts, are the (very, very, very) early first-round projections for the Panthers in 2026 . . .

The Athletic

Pick: Keldrick Faulk, DT, Auburn (No. 6 overall)

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Author: Dane Brugler

Take: It was impossible to ignore Faulk — and his ability to disrupt the quarterback and stuff the run — when studying the Auburn-Cal tape from last season. Listed at 6-foot-6 and 288 pounds, with long arms, Faulk, according to scouts, will be in the conversation to be the first defensive lineman drafted next year.

Pro Football Focus

Pick: Anthony Hill Jr., LB, Texas (No. 6 overall)

Author: Max Chadwick/Dalton Wasserman

Take: Carolina didn’t address the linebacker position in the 2025 NFL Draft, so Anthony Hill Jr. makes sense as the playmaker who can complete their defense. Hill improved his PFF run-defense grade by nearly 30 points to 80.2 this past season. He’s also an excellent blitzer with 42 pressures and 10 sacks over the past two seasons.

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If Hill can improve a bit more in coverage, he could very well be the first linebacker selected in the 2026 class.

CBS Sports

Pick: Francis Mauigoa, OT, Miami (No. 7 overall)

Author: Josh Edwards

Take: Carolina picked up Ikem Ekwonu’s option, but there is a world where they move on from him after the season or potentially even convert him to offensive guard. Mauigoa would give them a new left tackle on a rookie contract. Mauigoa’s older brother, Francisco, was drafted in the fifth round by the Jets.

FOX Sports

Pick: Anthony Hill Jr., LB, Texas (No. 5 overall)

Author: Rob Rang

Take: A do-it-all off-ball linebacker with the diagnostic skills and athleticism to beat backs to the perimeter, drop into coverage and attack quarterbacks, Hill would have ranked among the best at his position in the 2025 draft, had he been eligible.

Bleacher Report

Pick: Francis Mauigoa, OT, Miami (No. 6 overall)

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Author: Brent Sobleski

Take: If the Panthers are picking this high again, a replacement for quarterback Bryce Young could be on the table. However, we’ll give him the benefit of the doubt and say he’ll get one more chance to prove himself in 2026.

Carolina picked up the fifth-year option on Ikem Ekwonu’s contract, so the offense is set at left tackle for the next couple of years. However, Taylor Moton will be a free agent next offseason and turns 31 in August, meaning the team could use a long-term solution at right tackle.

Sports Illustrated

Pick: Francis Mauigoa, OT, Miami (No. 7 overall)

Author: Bryan Fischer

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Take: Teams that dove into Cam Ward’s tape may have been drawn more toward his big offensive tackle at Miami before realizing that he wouldn’t be draft-eligible until 2026. Mauigoa checks off the boxes in terms of size, movement in the passing game and rushing attack. He’s playing for a terrific set of coaches who have a great history at developing offensive linemen. He is an easy addition for the Panthers as they look to keep Bryce Young upright.

Sportskeeda

Pick: Caleb Downs, S, Ohio State (No. 5 overall)

Author: Tony Pauline

Take: The Panthers get the best player in the 2026 draft and one of the most complete defensive backs to come from the college ranks in a long time.

Athlon Sports

Pick: Anthony Hill Jr., LB, Texas (No. 6 overall)

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Author: Luke Easterling

Take: It’s not fair to compare anyone to Luke Kuechly, but the last time the Panthers spent a top-10 pick on an off-ball linebacker, it worked out pretty well. Hill has the ideal frame and skill set to be a three-down menace at the next level, and a stellar 2025 campaign could land him squarely in this range.

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This article originally appeared on Panthers Wire: 2026 NFL draft: Early 1st-round projections for the Carolina Panthers