The Panthers hired Dan Morgan as president of football operations and general manager on January 22, 2024. Morgan is a Panthers \u201clifer\u201d after spending his seven-year NFL career in Charlotte from 2001 through 2007 then spending years in the Panthers front office. Let\u2019s take a look back on Morgan\u2019s second season as GM. We\u2019ve previously evaluated his performance with trades and with free agents.<\/p>\n
Let\u2019s now assess Morgan\u2019s 2025 draft day performance. Today we will focus on Rounds 4-7 after covering Rounds 1-3 last week.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s a bit of a fool\u2019s errand to evaluate a draft class after just one season because we still don\u2019t know what type of player these guys will be in three or four years, but one season is all the data we have.<\/p>\n
When grading draft picks it\u2019s important to measure their performance relative to rookie expectations. My general criteria for rookies is this:<\/p>\n
Round 1 – Average contributing starter<\/p>\n
Round 2 – Spot starter and key rotational piece<\/p>\n
Rounds 3-4 – Capable rotational depth<\/p>\n
Rounds 5-6 – Special teams<\/p>\n
Round 7 – Any contributions is a borderline miracle<\/p>\n
Round 4, No. 114 – Trevor Etienne, running back<\/p>\n
2025 Stats: 17 games (0 starts), 20 carries, 90 yards (4.7 YPC); 3 receptions, 13 yards; 20 punt returns (8.2 YPR), 31 kick returns (23.6 YPR) <\/p>\n
The former Florida and Georgia star did what few fourth-round rookies do by appearing in all 17 games and making some meaningful contributions for a playoff team. Etienne joined a crowded running back room in Carolina behind two established starters in Chuba Hubbard and Rico Dowdle, both of whom had 1,000-plus yard seasons in 2024. Even then, in limited carries Etienne averaged a healthy 4.7 yards per carry. His main contributions came as the Panthers main punt and kick returner throughout the season, and fulfilling that role fairly well.<\/p>\n
Round 4, No. 122 – Lathan Ransom, safety<\/p>\n
2025 stats: 16 games (6 starts), 51 tackles, 1.0 sacks, 2 passes defended<\/p>\n
Lathan Ransom had a quietly productive rookie season, especially for a fourth round pick. I did a double-take when I saw he had 51 tackles this year. He played 336 defensive snaps and 169 more on special teams, so he was on the field a lot. Per Football Reference<\/a>, he was targeted 18 times in coverage and surrendered 10 receptions, or a 55.6% completion percentage. His tackling was sound with a 3.8% missed tackle rate. PFF graded him out as the No. 67 of 98 safeties<\/a> in the league, which is more than commendable given his draft pedigree.<\/p>\n Round 5, No. 140 – Cam Jackson, defensive tackle<\/p>\n 2025 stats: 9 games (0 starts), 9 tackles<\/p>\n The 6-foot-6, 328-pounder hovered just below the \u201cmeets expectations\u201d criteria for a fifth round rookie. He made the 53-man roster and appeared in nine games, playing 85 defensive snaps and 30 on special teams, which is lower than you\u2019d like to see from the No. 140 pick. The highlight from his rookie campaign was the five tackles he racked up in a loss to the Seattle Seahawks late in the season.<\/p>\n Round 5, No. 163 – Mitchell Evans, tight end<\/p>\n 2025 stats: 17 games (10 starts), 19 receptions, 171 yards, 2 TDs<\/p>\n The former Notre Dame star was the biggest pleasant surprise from the Panthers crop of rookies. Despite joining a tight end room with established players like Tommy Tremble and Ja\u2019Tavion Sanders, Evans still earned a meaningful role in his first NFL season. He played an impressive 393 offensive snaps, or 37% of the team\u2019s total, meaning he was also blocking when not catching passes. His 19 receptions came on 25 targets, meaning he snagged 76% of his targets. He absolutely blew past what should be reasonably expected from a fifth round pick.<\/p>\n Round 6, No. 208 – Jimmy Horn Jr., wide receiver<\/p>\n 2025 stats: 13 games, 11 receptions, 108 yards; 8 rushes, 69 yards<\/p>\n