April 17, 2026, 1:35 p.m. ET<\/p>\n
The Carolina Panthers<\/a> might have to have their ducks in a line come Thursday night.<\/p>\n With the 2026 NFL Draft now less than a week away, Joe Person of The Athletic has named six prospects<\/a> he believes could wind up as Carolina’s first-round selection. Person begins his list with University of Oregon safety Dillon Thieneman, a pretty popular pick<\/a> for the Panthers of late:<\/p>\n The Panthers brought back free safety Nick Scott on a one-year, $2 million deal after he finished with a career-high 111 tackles last season. Canales loves Scott\u2019s leadership and what he brings to the locker room, and the veteran would still be a valuable depth piece if the Panthers draft a safety. As mentioned, Morgan would like to add a ballhawk who can cover a lot of ground. Thieneman, who had six interceptions as a Purdue freshman and boasts outstanding speed, checks both boxes.<\/p>\n Person goes on to note that if the round goes as expected and Thieneman is available to the Panthers at the 19th overall pick, he’d be their guy.<\/p>\n But Thieneman may have some friendly competition for that spot, with teammate and tight end Kenyon Sadiq being considered a strong possibility as well. To close out his ranks, Person writes that general manager Dan Morgan could face a “Duck-themed dilemma” if Thieneman and Sadiq are both on the board.<\/p>\n Expert NFL picks: Exclusive betting insights only at USA TODAY.<\/a><\/p>\n Here’s what he had to say about Sadiq’s fit:<\/p>\n The Panthers haven\u2019t had a game-changing tight end in the pass game since Greg Olsen left for Seattle in 2020. That\u2019s a long time. As the Panthers try to figure out how much Young is worth as he enters his fourth season, adding a unicorn to the offensive mix could be big for Bryce and the organization.<\/p>\n Sadiq reeled in 75 catches for 868 yards and 10 touchdowns in his final two seasons at Oregon. He’d go on to post even more eye-popping numbers at the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine\u2014where the 6-foot-3, 241-pounder recorded<\/a> the same 40-yard dash time as Jonathan Taylor (4.39), the same speed on that dash as Jahmyr Gibbs (23.2 MPH) and the same broad jump as Dez Bryant (113 inches).<\/p>\n