CHARLOTTE, N.C. — On the morning the NFL Draft was starting last year, general manager Dan Morgan said he walked into Bank of America Stadium and told Carolina Panthers owner David Tepper they had to get Arizona wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan with the eighth pick.
The way the board fell in front of them — and after a potential trade with the Los Angeles Rams fell through — the Panthers took McMillan, and the angular wideout known as T-Mac went on to win Offensive Rookie of the Year.
Maybe Morgan again shows up to the stadium Thursday morning with one name for Tepper. But because the Panthers are picking 11 spots lower and with only one quarterback expected to be taken in the first half of the draft, Morgan’s list figures to be a little longer this year.
So is ours. Let’s big board.
Day 1
(The Panthers currently have the 19th pick in Round 1.)
OL Spencer Fano, Utah
Fano was a right tackle for the Utes. But after his arms miraculously grew between his combine and pro day, some teams could be eyeing him as a left tackle.
WR Jordyn Tyson, Arizona State
Tyson’s injury history will scare some teams. But he’s a dynamic playmaker when healthy.
WR Makai Lemon, USC
The 5-foot-11 Lemon doesn’t have Tyson’s size, but his ball skills are tremendous.
S Dillon Thieneman, Oregon
The Panthers would like to find an athletic, rangy safety to patrol the back end for Ejiro Evero while Tre’von Moehrig causes havoc in the box. Thieneman picked off six passes as a freshman at Purdue, then had two interceptions last year during his only season at Oregon. Also: He ran a 4.35-second 40 in Indy.
TE Kenyon Sadiq, Oregon
After waiting behind Rams tight end Terrance Ferguson with the Ducks, Sadiq caught eight receiving TDs in 2025 to lead all FBS tight ends. Then he went to the combine and ran the fastest 40 (4.39 seconds) by a tight end since at least 2003.
WR K.C. Concepcion, Texas A&M
The Panthers could use a playmaking speed freak to complement McMillan, Jalen Coker and Xavier Legette. With 25 receiving TDs over three seasons at N.C. State and A&M, and two punt return TDs for the Aggies last year, Concepcion qualifies.
WR Omar Cooper, Indiana
Fernando Mendoza’s favorite target (69-937-13 TDs) during the Hoosiers’ national championship season, Cooper has more dependable hands than Concepcion. Keep an eye on Cooper at 19 if Thieneman is off the board.
WR Denzel Boston, Washington
Different body type and not as fast as the WRs above him on this list, but he can win inside or outside and catches everything.
Edge Keldric Faulk, Auburn
After signing Jaelan Phillips to a four-year, $120 million contract and drafting a pair of Day-2 pass rushers last year, I’d be a little surprised if Morgan drafted an edge rusher in the first round. But Faulk’s size and athleticism are worth a look, even if his college production was lacking.
OT Monroe Freeling, Georgia
After starting only 18 games in Athens, Freeling is still a little raw. But the Panthers’ addition of Rasheed Walker means Freeling would have the benefit of a redshirt year if needed.
OT Kadyn Proctor, Alabama
Proctor was a consensus All-American his final season at Alabama despite stretches of inconsistency — especially against speed rushers. With his 6-7, 352-pound frame, Proctor looks the part of a franchise tackle.
OT Caleb Lomu, Utah
Lomu is the lower-rated prospect among the Utes’ two tackles, despite playing on the left side and not allowing a sack last season.
CB Jermod McCoy, Tennessee
The Panthers brought him in for a 30 visit, likely to check his medicals after a torn ACL ended his final season in Knoxville.
S Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, Toledo
McNeil-Warren racked up nine forced fumbles and five interceptions over four college seasons, including one he took to the house as a senior.
Day 2DT Kayden McDonald, Ohio State
Pass-rush skills are a work in progress, but is stout against the run.
OT Max Iheanachor, Arizona State
The Nigerian-born Iheanachor was a basketball and soccer player as a teenager in L.A., and didn’t play football until he got to college. But his athleticism and an NFL-ready frame (6-6, 330) make him an intriguing prospect.
G Chase Bisontis, Texas A&M
One of just six prospects (out of 319) at the combine who participated in every drill.
CB Treydan Stukes, Arizona
He has the size, speed and ball skills the Panthers like in their corners. His age (25) could be an issue.
LB Jacob Rodriguez, Texas Tech
The 6-1, 231-pound Rodriguez was both the quarterback of the Red Raiders’ defense and a disruptive force, finishing his career with 19 forced turnovers.
Edge Zion Young, Missouri
The second day was Morgan’s sweet spot for edge rushers last year. Could history repeat itself for a player who had 6.5 sacks and 16.5 tackles for loss as a senior?
LB C.J. Allen, Georgia
The sense is the Panthers have other LBs higher on their board, but Allen’s three-down skill set merits consideration.
DT Christen Miller, Georgia
Miller’s length (6-4, 321) and power could make him a sensible replacement for A’Shawn Robinson.
CB Brandon Cisse, South Carolina
You may have heard: The Panthers love drafting South Carolina players, and did OK the last time they took a Gamecocks’ corner.
OT Blake Miller, Clemson
You may have heard: The Panthers don’t like drafting Clemson players, and it doesn’t help that Miller was exclusively a right tackle for the Tigers.
LB Anthony Hill Jr., Texas
With 17 career sacks and eight forced fumbles, Hill made an impact every week for the Longhorns.
S AJ Haulcy, LSU
If there’s a better nickname than Haulcy’s “Mr. Give Me That” from high school, I want to hear it. Haulcy continued taking the ball away in college, with 10 interceptions over four seasons at three schools.
Edge Keyron Crawford, Auburn
Crawford was more productive last season than Faulk, Auburn’s more highly touted pass rusher.
LB Jake Golday, Cincinnati
Like Allen, Golday can make plays at all three levels of the defense, as evidenced by his 105 tackles and 3.5 sacks last fall.
TE Eli Stowers, Vanderbilt
Stowers was a quarterback at Texas A&M and New Mexico State before transferring to Vandy, where his 769 receiving yards were more than any other FBS tight end in 2025.
DT Tyler Onyedim, Texas A&M
Collected 3.5 sacks and 9.5 tackles for loss in 2025 after transferring from Iowa State.
CB Davison Igbinosun, Ohio State
Big and aggressive, but with 16 coverage penalties his last two seasons, he could stand to get less handsy.
DT Domonique Orange, Iowa State
The “Big Citrus,” at 6-4 and 325 pounds, didn’t get squeezed off the line very often in Ames.
WR Brenen Thompson, Mississippi State
The 5-9, 164-pound Thompson ran the fastest (4.26 seconds) at the combine and led the SEC with 1,054 receiving yards in 2025.
WR Zachariah Branch, Georgia
Branch has a similar build (5-9, 177) as Thompson and is only a tick slower, with a 4.35-second clocking in the 40.
TE Max Klare, Ohio State
Starred at Cincinnati’s St. X High, Luke Kuechly’s alma mater.
C Jake Slaughter, Florida
The Panthers lost Cade Mays in free agency, and only signed his replacement, Luke Fortner, to a one-year deal. So there’s room for a plug-and-play center like Slaughter.
S Jalon Kilgore, South Carolina
His 4.40-second 40 at the combine placed him just behind Thieneman and tied for the fifth-fastest time by a safety.
TE Oscar Delp, Georgia
Poor production after taking over for Brock Bowers, but teams like his speed (4.49) and upside.
TE Justin Joly, NC State
Athletic mover caught seven TDs last season for the Wolfpack.
OT Travis Burke, Memphis
The 6-9, 332-pound Burke, who started his career at Gardner-Webb, has a humongous frame and a mean streak.
G Jalen Farmer, Kentucky
The 6-5, long-armed Farmer could be a sneaky good pick for the Panthers, especially if they believe he could also play center.
WR Chris Brazzell, Tennessee
Tall, angular wideout topped 1,000 yards with nine TDs last season for the Vols.
C Sam Hecht, Kansas State
Former walk-on gave up zero sacks and had no penalties as a senior.
Day 3WR Deion Burks, Oklahoma
If the Panthers haven’t drafted a fast, shifty receiver by Saturday, Burks could be the guy.
S Zakee Wheatley, Penn State
Wheatley had six career interceptions for the Nittany Lions, including three in 2024 to go with a career-high 96 tackles.
TE Sam Roush, Stanford
Former rugby player was a traditional “Y” tight end for Frank Reich last year.
RB Emmett Johnson, Nebraska
Johnson piled up more than 1,800 all-purpose yards in 2025 in Dana Holgorsen’s version of the Air Raid offense.
C Connor Lew, Auburn
Season-ending ACL surgery in October could keep him off some teams’ boards.
DT Chris McClellan, Missouri
The Florida transfer was a productive player whose impact increased over his two seasons at Missouri, capped by a six-sack campaign as a senior.
TE Will Kacmarek, Ohio State
Among the better blockers in this TE class.
G/C Febechi Nwaiwu, Oklahoma
Nwaiwu has nearly 35-inch arms and started at four of the five offensive line spots while at North Texas and Oklahoma.
CB Ephesians Prysock, Washington
The 6-3 Prysock forced 19 incompletions last season, most among Big Ten cornerbacks.
WR Malik Benson, Oregon
A deep-ball threat who also was one of five FBS players in 2025 to average more than 17.5 yards per punt return.
Edge Wesley Williams, Duke
Williams is a high-motor player who is active against the run and had a solid season in 2024 (7.5 sacks, 13.5 tackles for loss).
WR Kendrick Law, Kentucky
Law put up pedestrian stats at both Kentucky and Alabama, where he played with Bryce Young in 2022.
DT Nick Barrett, South Carolina
Like Legette, Barrett waited four years before becoming a full-time player for the Gamecocks.
LB Jack Kelly, BYU
Dane Brugler called the 6-2, 240-pound Kelly a “culture-setter” at BYU, where he combined for 23.5 tackles for loss and 15 sacks in two seasons after transferring from Weber State.
RB Kaelon Black, Indiana
JMU transfer ran for more than 1,000 yards and 10 touchdowns for the Hoosiers’ title team in what was his sixth college season.
CB T.J. Hall, Iowa
A physical, good-sized corner, but lacks top-end speed.
QB Haynes King, Georgia Tech
The 25-year-old King played six college seasons and is six months older than Bryce Young. He led Georgia Tech in both passing (2,951) and rushing yards (953) in 2025 and was the ACC Player of the Year. A Taysom Hill-type package, anyone?
TE Dae’quan Wright, Ole Miss
Virginia Tech transfer was one of only three TEs in this draft with 12 catches of 20-plus yards in 2025.
QB Sawyer Robertson, Baylor
The 6-4, 216-pound Robertson has the size and athleticism to make plays with his feet and keep plays alive, something Morgan said the Panthers are looking for in a developmental QB.