The 2026 NFL Draft is only two weeks away from today, putting one of the most impactful talent-acquisition periods on the calendar fully in the spotlight. The Carolina Panthers are certainly hoping to use it to continue building on a recent positive trajectory.

After going 2-15 in quarterback Bryce Young‘s rookie year, the team improved to 5-12 in 2024 and then 8-9 last season in 2025 with a playoff appearance. Can the team make another jump and reach the playoffs again this season?

That likely depends on how well the draft goes. And ESPN has taken a close look at what the Panthers need.

A pair of experts helped answer two pivotal questions surrounding the draft for Carolina and which avenues the Panthers might take. There are two basic lines of thinking: Young needs more help in terms of playmakers, but the defense also needs work.

Which will win out? ESPN’s David Newton provided his answer.

“GM Dan Morgan spent free agency fortifying the defense but still could use an upgrade at safety,” Newton wrote. “Although there should be plenty of safeties available at No. 19, there is temptation to improve the talent around Young. That could be the play if the best TE in the draft, Kenyon Sadiq (Oregon), falls to Carolina. He could bolster Young like wide receiver and reigning NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Tetairoa McMillan did last season.”

Of course, there’s something to be said for how the division shakes out on both sides of the ball. Last year, the highest-ranked offense in the NFC South was Atlanta at No. 14. Tampa Bay and New Orleans both finished in the bottom half of the league.

Meanwhile, New Orleans boasted the No. 9 defense in the league. Atlanta was No. 15 and Tampa Bay was No. 19. So the league is a little better defensively right now — might make sense to draft offensively.

That goes roughly in line with what fellow ESPN draft analyst Jordan Reid is hearing on the Panthers. He explained.

“Adding another playmaker for Young is viewed as essential when speaking to sources close to the Panthers,” Reid wrote. “It is certainly possible that they draft a receiver in Round 1 for a third consecutive year. Another position to watch is tight end. The team is reportedly high on Oscar Delp (Georgia), who could be an option as early as the second round.”

What will the Panthers ultimately do? That remains to be seen. The draft is set to begin on April 23.