DURHAM, N.C.
An NFL team can never have too many talented cornerbacks. And if the Panthers are looking to upgrade their depth chart at the position in April’s draft, they probably won’t have to look too far to feed that roster need.
The North Carolina Tar Heels and Duke Blue Devils held their respective annual pro days on Monday. Both programs have talented cover men who are looking to ascend to the next level.
Duke cornerback Chandler Rivers and North Carolina cornerback Thaddeus Dixon are expected to be selected in the middle rounds of the draft. And both players starred for their respect programs in 2025.
The Panthers have one of the better cornerback duos in the league with two-time Pro Bowl selection Jaycee Horn and Mike Jackson. But there is still plenty of room for improvement at the nickel position, currently occupied by Chau Smith-Wade, and the rest of the depth chart.
While the team is high on second-year cornerback Corey Thornton and recently re-signed Akayleb Evans and Robert Rochell in free agency, general manager Dan Morgan has shown that he is aggressive when it comes to adding competition to the roster.
Nickel cornerbacks wanted? Duke has a standout
Rivers, listed as 5-foot-9 and 185 pounds, held his own in coverage as a boundary corner during his career at Duke. He also has the physicality and blitzing ability to move inside to the nickel position at the next level.
“I feel like I’m versatile — I feel like a lot of guys are versatile, but I’m versatile at a high level,” Rivers said with a chuckle. “I can go play (safety), I can play corner, but I can do it at a high level. I feel like I’ve proven that on film. And then, again, like just my football intelligence — understanding the game in general. So, I feel that just separates me from a lot of guys.”
Rivers produced 59 total tackles, eight pass breakups and two interceptions in his final campaign with the Blue Devils. He finished his Duke career with seven picks overall.
After posting a 4.4-second 40-yard dash, a 39-inch vertical jump and a 10-feet, 10-inch broad jump during the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, Rivers focused on position drills in Durham in front of evaluators. In particular, his ability to make plays on the ball stood out.
“Everything they saw on film — honestly, I just wanted them to see that it’s real,” Rivers said. “It’s true, it’s real. So, my change of direction, footwork, ball skills — I wanted to put that all on display on the field right now in front of scouts, coaches or whoever. So, that was really the main goal, honestly.”
Duke’s Chandler Rivers pressures Georgia Tech’s Eric Rivers during the second half of the Blue Devils’ 27-18 loss on Oct. 18, 2025, at Wallace Wade Stadium in Durham. Kaitlin McKeown The News & Observer
While the Panthers might have other, bigger needs on Day 2 of the draft, Rivers plays with a fierceness and energy that Morgan can certainly appreciate. He’s short but feisty, and he’s not afraid to get into a scrum or tackle a ball-carrier one-on-one.
Rivers has received some second-round buzz, despite his shorter-than-average stature. If the Panthers want an upgrade at nickel corner, he could be their guy.
The confident defensive back has no qualms with covering the middle of the field in the NFL.
“A lot of coaches (have) asked me that throughout the process, and I just say, ‘Most of my production came when I was in the slot,’” Rivers said. “So, if I’m playing that full-time, I only expect … good things to come out of that.”
UNC’s top prospect sits out of pro day due to injury
Dixon — who transferred from the University of Washington to Chapel Hill this past season — was forced to sit out of Monday’s pro day with a hamstring injury. He sustained the ailment before he could run a 40-yard dash at the combine in February.
He told The Charlotte Observer that he will hold a private workout for evaluators prior to the draft. The 6-foot-1, 195-pound defensive back already posted a 39-inch vertical jump and a 10-5 broad jump in Indianapolis.
“I don’t really prefer the separate attention — I’d much rather do things in front of everybody here, but you’ve got to play the cards you’re dealt,” Dixon said. “Just trust in God. He’s always got a plan for everybody, so I’m going to take the private workout with a grain of salt — go out there and do my thing.”
Dixon produced 20 tackles and six pass breakups in his lone campaign with the Tar Heels. Dixon was used all around the secondary, showing that he could be a versatile piece for his eventual NFL club.
While he failed to haul in an interception in 2025, Dixon attributed the lack of turnovers to his target share in the secondary.
“I’m always looking for a way to get a turnover,” Dixon said. “The interception numbers really comes on my lack of targets. A lot of teams choose to throw away from me, so I’m not really getting too many balls at me every game, which is a smart decision by opposing offenses and things like that. But shoot, the more targets I get, I’m bound to get my hands on the ball.”
North Carolina defensive back Thaddeus Dixon (1) defends Duke wide receiver Cooper Barkate (18) in the first quarter on Nov. 22, 2025, at Kenan Stadium in Chapel Hill. Robert Willett rwillett@newsobserver.com
Dixon said Monday that he’s comfortable in both man and zone coverages. He added that his preference, though, is playing in press-man coverage.
The Panthers use a zone-heavy scheme under defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero.
During a separate conversation with local media, Dixon said some teams are looking at him as a nickel cornerback. Perhaps, given his size and length, he could be an option for the Panthers in the slot, as Evero typically prefers bigger body types in the secondary.
Checking in on Brian Parker’s position change
The Panthers signed veteran center Luke Fortner to a one-year deal in free agency. But that move isn’t likely to deter the Panthers from adding to their offense line depth chart in April.
Carolina lost former draft pick, Cade Mays, to Detroit on the open market, and the squad needs a long-term answer at the center position. Fortner or Nick Samac, in theory, could be a solution, but the Panthers have positioned themselves to add to the competition in the trenches.
Duke’s Brian Parker is a college offensive tackle who is converting to center for the NFL. While he played the new position in high school, he spent his entire Blue Devil career at the tackle spots.
His first opportunity to play center against top talent in a game was during the Shrine Bowl in Frisco, Texas in January. Parker has worked on his transition to the interior position ever since.
“Right now, as far as snapping, running off the ball and being athletic out of stance, I feel very good,” Parker said.
Duke’s Brian Parker II and Anderson Castle celebrate following a touchdown during the Blue Devils’ game against N.C. State on Sept. 20, 2025, at Wallace Wade Stadium in Durham. Kaitlin McKeown The News & Observer
Parker, listed as 6-5 and 309 pounds, did the bulk of his testing in Indianapolis last month.
He ran a 5.14-second 40-yard dash with a 1.78-second 10-yard split. He also benched 225 pounds 29 times and posted a 9-1 broad jump.
Inside Pascal Field House on Monday, Parker got one more opportunity to go through position drills at center.
“I think the center stuff is coming (along) great,” Parker said. “Got some snaps in — they got to see me run off the ball. And the Chargers scout was really impressed with it. He was like, ‘You definitely weren’t lying, you’ve done this before.’ So, I thought today was good. Showed some more versatility. That’s always the plan and just keep fighting on.”
Quick hits from Duke and UNC pro days 
Duke’s Wesley Williams pressures N.C. State quarterback CJ Bailey during the second half of the Blue Devils’ 45-33 win on Sept. 20, 2025, at Wallace Wade Stadium in Durham. Kaitlin McKeown The News & Observer Duke pass rushers Vincent Anthony Jr. and Wesley Williams shined during the workout at the Pascal Field House. Both players looked their parts in position drills, moving in spacing and changing directions. Anthony is a fit to play 3-4 outside linebacker at 6-foot-6 and 258 pounds. According to a league source, scouts clocked him in the 4.7-range for the 40-yard dash. He told reporters that he ran a 7-second 3-cone drill, which would be a tremendous time for his height-weight combination. Williams (6-4, 256 pounds), who is more likely to play defensive end in a 3-4, said he was told he ran a 7.13-second 3-cone drill on Monday. Consensus times by the more than 30 scouts in attendance were not released by the program.North Carolina cornerback Marcus Allen, who expects to be a Day 3 pick, stood on his 4.5-second 40-yard dash time from Indianapolis. Allen, who also performed at the Shrine Bowl, had a 39-inch vertical and a 10-5 broad jump at the combine. Along with running 3-cone and short shuttle drills on Monday, he also worked on position drills inside Korman Practice Complex. Allen’s testing on the drills were not made available by the university.Carolina has selected four Tar Heels — including Hall of Fame defensive end Julius Peppers (2002) and safety Tre Boston (2014) — in past drafts. The Panthers have never selected a player from Duke.
The Charlotte Observer
Mike Kaye writes about the Carolina Panthers for The Charlotte Observer. He also co-hosts “Processing Blue: A Panthers Podcast” for The Observer. Kaye’s work in columns/analysis and sports feature writing has been honored by the North Carolina Press Association (NCPA). His reporting has also received recognition from the Associated Press Sports Editors (APSE).Kaye previously covered the entire NFL for Pro Football Network, the Philadelphia Eagles for NJ Advance Media and the Jacksonville Jaguars for First Coast News. Support my work with a digital subscription