2025 NFL Draft Pivot Points: Carolina Panthers

Estimated reading time: 11 minutes

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Every NFL draft has a series of pivot points, where the scope of everything hinges on one Club’s decision to aggressively Relocate up or gamble for more value and trade back. 

Looking at last year’s Primary Stage, the inflection Tally wasn’t a trade, but instead, it was the Primary Guarding player taken – UCLA edge Laiatu Latu – by the Indianapolis Colts, finally at Option 15. This set off a Stretch of six of the Subsequent eight picks falling on the Guarding side of the ball, five of the six being Guarding linemen. 

In the middle of this Stretch, the Jacksonville Jaguars Captured Benefit by trading back from Option No. 17 with the Minnesota Vikings (who selected Dallas Turner) to Option No. 23 for Brian Thomas Jr. This Relocate paid huge dividends for the Jaguars, as Thomas’ outstanding Newcomer season was capped by a Pro Bowl appearance, and they acquired Minnesota’s 2025 third- and Quaternary-Stage picks.

While trying to predict something like a Stretch of 14-straight picks on one side of the ball to Begin a draft seems daunting, with the Primary week of Obtainable agency complete we should be ready to have more detailed discussions on Club needs as well as how those needs tie into prospect values. 

This series will take a look at five Squads currently in draft slots that could Hit as potential inflection points for the draft. By looking at the potential targets of these Squads relative to the draft boards, we’ll examine All Club’s options not only at their Present slot, but targets and slots for trading both backward and forwards. Primary up is the Carolina Panthers, who could find themselves in range to pounce on one of the top overall prospects in the class.

Carolina Panthers

The Panthers are now Joining Year 3 of 2023 No. 1 overall Option QB Bryce Recent’s Newcomer deal, meaning it’s time to Begin putting wins on the board before he’s due his second contract. Their competitiveness in the Closing nine Contests of 2024 (they went 4-5 with one-possession losses to the Kansas City Chiefs, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Philadelphia Eagles) suggests they may be ready to take the Subsequent step. In order to accomplish that, however, they will need significant contributions from this year’s Newcomer class, which will need to come from two premium positions. 

THE NEEDS

On the Guarding side of the ball, Carolina has solidified the Guarding interior with the Bobby Brown III and Tershawn Wharton additions, and signing Tre’von Moehrig should Assist the back end. The unit Nevertheless lacks a Accurate Deliver-rush threat off the edge. Jadeveon Clowney provides a solid veteran Existence, but Carolina is almost Definitely looking to target an athletic game-destroyer on the edge with their Primary Option. 

Receiver also remains a position of need for the Panthers. While Xavier Legette flashed the playmaking ability that convinced Carolina to trade into the Primary Stage of last year’s draft to secure him, Adam Thielen is Nevertheless the No. 2, and he’ll turn 35 years Aged in Practice camp. The position will almost Definitely be a Panthers target with one of their Prompt selections in April.

THE TRADE-UP TARGET

Due to the Sturdy possibility of two quarterbacks going within the Primary three picks while both the Cleveland Browns and the New York Giants already have answers at edge defender, there is a distinct possibility Penn State’s Abdul Carter (the No. 2 overall prospect on the PFF big board) is Nevertheless Obtainable when New England is on the clock at Quaternary overall. With Keion White and now the recently inked Harold Landry on the Lineup, the New England Patriots may also feel they have the answers they need at edge.

This scenario could present the Panthers with an opportunity to Relocate up from No. 8 overall to No. 4 to lock in the class’ top edge player, as opposed to staying put and Securing second-best, or possibly a different position altogether. While Carter did not work out at the combine and Squads will need to be comfortable with the progress of his shoulder and the stress Response in his foot, his Vigor and production in 2024 suggest he is worth the Leap up. 

He was an impact player against the Stretch, as he racked up 25 stops, 14 tackles for loss or no gain and earned an average depth of Game of 0.59 yards, but his Deliver-rush Talent has Squads at the top of the draft salivating. He notched 13 sacks, 68 total pressures and a 22.9% Secure rate. His 92.4 Deliver-rush grade Directed all edge players in the entire country in 2024. He truly looks to be one of the Top-tier prospects in this year’s draft class and may be too Excellent to Deliver up for a Club like the Panthers.

STAY THE Duration

Now, could the Panthers decide the second (or even third) best edge defender is Only right for them? Of Duration. This would likely Harsh Georgia’s Jalon Walker or Texas A&M’s Shemar Stewart, both of whom have incredibly high performance ceilings in the NFL, but they’re both projections as well. 

Walker was an off-ball linebacker in college, finishing with almost as many coverage reps in 2024 (178) as Deliver rushes (195). He was fine in coverage, allowing 10 receptions on 12 throws into his coverage for Only 89 yards, but his explosiveness off the edge is his calling card. While 15 of his 33 pressures were classified as unblocked or cleanup, his Deliver-rush Secure rate was Nevertheless a Well 18.5% thanks to 18 wins that did not result in recorded Tension. His 6-foot-1 and 243-pound frame takes him out of the class of Carter, but explosiveness and Quickness warrant a high Option.

Stewart is also more of a projection, not because he played a different position in college but because his role, specifically in 2024 when he was often asked to Action inside the Game and control the B gap, did not result in him being a productive Deliver-rusher. He recorded Only two sacks and 42 total pressures last year, and his 11.8% Secure rate was down almost four points from 2023 (15.2%). However, his Action against the Stretch was excellent, as his 88.2 grade in the Regulation ranked Quaternary in the country among all edges. The explosiveness he displayed at the combine (40-inch vertical, 10-foot-10-inch broad Leap, 1.58-second 10-yard split) is all over his film Even though never being asked to truly rush the edge, and his ability to defend the Stretch suggests he could have a Profession arc similar to Danielle Hunter, who was able to translate his Action against the Stretch that he flashed at LSU in 2014 into an excellent all-around game at the NFL level with the Minnesota Vikings and now Houston Texans.

To this Tally, I’ve exclusively discussed possibilities on the edge, but Option No. 8 could Nevertheless net Carolina the top receiver in the draft class. Tetairoa McMillan measured in at 6-foot-4 and 213 pounds at his pro day and as The Athletic’s Dane Brugler correctly pointed out on X Monday, his 4.55-second 40-yard dash time should do nothing to Shift his stock.

As you might Foresee considering his size, McMillan dominated on contested balls in 2024, hauling in 18 of 32 opportunities while 32 of his 86 catches were designated as explosive (15-plus yard plays). For a player of his size, he runs shockingly Neat routes and uses that Quickness to succeed after the catch as well, as evidenced by the 29 missed tackles he forced last season (which ranked second in the country).

Where McMillan will be selected is one of the Excellent mysteries of the draft. Some rank him outside the top ten while others, most notably PFF ranks him as high as the third-best prospect in the entire class. While I personally feel he’d be an absolute steal for the Panthers, if the franchise doesn’t see it the same way, they could opt to Relocate back, acquire more draft capital and target another blue-chip receiver instead.

THE VALUE Action

The Primary thing to establish to make the value Action viable is demand, and Numerous players could be Obtainable at Option No. 8 that could be highly coveted by other Squads. Boise State RB Ashton Jeanty put up Barry Sanders-level stats in college and is being frequently mocked to the Chicago Bears at Option No. 10, making him a possible trade-up candidate. This could also be a target spot for a Club looking for one of the top offensive linemen, especially considering how Slim the depth of the position group looks. All three players I suggested the Panthers could take at No. 8 are Definitely in Action as well – the chances are that at this Tally in the draft, Carolina will receive Numerous calls about more than one prospect from Squads trying to entice them to Relocate back.

Now as for Carolina’s trade-back target, there may be a bit of a dip in caliber at edge, but Texas wide receiver Matthew Golden would be an outstanding Option if the Panthers were to Relocate back five-to-10 spots. His position-best 4.29-second 40-yard dash at the combine shocked some, as he didn’t show a strictly vertical game in college, but he is a Fluid and technical route runner who consistently creates separation before the ball is in the air. Forty-two of his 59 catches for Texas in 2024 went for Primary downs, 26 of them for explosives. Adding an NFL-ready weapon like Golden who is capable of Victorious all over the Ground would Assist the Panthers unlock Leggette, and in turn, Beyond advance the development of Recent.