NFL Draft Grades - Carolina Panthers

Carolina Panthers' 2025 Draft Selections

2024 Pick 32. (R:1 P:32) - Xavier Legette, WR, South Carolina
Grade: A-
Xavier Legette said he would be taken by the Panthers. He also said he visited Carolina four times, somehow. It was all true, as Legette is a great selection by the Panthers. Wide receiver was a huge need, even with Diontae Johnson on the team. Legette will try to help turn around Bryce Young's disappointing career.

2024 Pick 46. (R:2 P:14) - Jonathon Brooks, RB, Texas
Grade: B
So much for Jerry Jones getting his favorite running back. I thought some team would trade up above Dallas to take Brooks, and that's what happened. Brooks is a talented running back who would have gone earlier than this if it weren't for a torn ACL. Brooks won't be able to play very well next year, but the Panthers will be gearing up for a possible playoff run in 2025, and Brooks will be able to help by then.

2024 Pick 72. (R:3 P:8) - Trevin Wallace, OLB, Kentucky
Grade: B+
The Panthers lost Frankie Luvu to free agency this offseason, so they needed to find some linebacker help. Trevin Wallace is a freak athlete with tons of upside, so I like the Panthers swinging for the fences here to help improve their defense.

2024 Pick 101. (R:4 P:1) - Ja'Tavion Sanders, TE, Texas
Grade: A
How long has it been since the Panthers have possessed a talented tight end? It's been so long, but Ja'Tavion Sanders will finally fill that need. He could have easily gone early in the third round, so I love this value. It's never a bad thing to give Bryce Young another weapon. If you haven't visited the site in a while, you may have noticed the new look. Yes, after nearly two decades, we've finally re-designed our site to be more modern. This was not done on a whim, but rather out of necessity because of what occurred during the 2023 NFL Draft. Our site crashed during the entire first day of the draft, which was disastrous for our revenue stream because we make more money during the draft than any other time. The site crashed because a line of code conflicted with the old format of the site, so we had to transition to this new look. Because we lost so much money during the draft, I want to point out that you can really help support the site by paying for the ad-free version of it at the top. It's $7.99 per month, but you'll get a super-fast site with no ads. If you don't want to pay, please spread the word about the site through word of mouth. That would also be a big help! Follow @walterfootball for updates. Also, if you'd like to support the site, check out my book! It's available on Amazon, and it's called A Safety and a Field Goal. Take a look:

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2024 Carolina Panthers - Prospect:TBD

2024 Pick 240. (R:7 P:20) - Michael Barrett, LB, Michigan
Grade: B
Michael Barrett was seen as a seventh-round prospect heading into the draft, so taking him here makes sense. Barrett figures to be a career special-teamer.

Past Grades and Selections

2024 NFL Draft Selections and Grades

2024 Carolina Panthers - Prospect:TBD

2023 NFL Draft Selections and Grades

2023 Pick 1. (R:1 P:1) - Bryce Young, QB, Alabama B+ This can't be graded poorly because the Panthers finally have a franchise quarterback for the first time since Cam Newton's first stint with the team. However, it worries me that Carolina selected Bryce Young when the coaches preferred C.J. Stroud instead. Young is a terrific quarterback prospect, but he has some major injury concerns because of his Kyler Murray-type build.

2023 Pick 39. (R:2 P:8) - Jonathan Mingo, WR, Ole Miss B+ The Panthers overpaid Adam Thielen and also signed D.J. Chark, but they still needed a No. 1 receiver. Jonathan Mingo could qualify as such. He's a huge receiver and a great route runner. I would have preferred Jalin Hyatt, but I still like this pick.

2023 Pick 93. (R:3 P:30) - Darnell Washington, TE, Georgia B+ If you're wondering why Darnell Washington fell, some teams removed him from their draft boards because of serious injury concerns. However, at some point, he's definitely worth a shot, and the Steelers deemed that to be at the end of the third frame. This pick obviously doesn't fill a need, but it doesn't hurt to give Kenny Pickett another talented weapon. We'll just have to see if Washington can stay healthy.

2023 Pick 114. (R:4 P:12) - Chandler Zavala, G, N.C. State
B Protecting Bryce Young is obviously incredibly important, and the Panthers needed to improve their blocking. Chandler Zavala fits the range as a Round 4-5 prospect, so this is fine selection.

2023 Pick 132. (R:4 P:30) - Nick Herbig, OLB, Wisconsin
B+ The Steelers were 8-2 with T.J. Watt last year, but really struggled without him. Edge-rushing depth was needed, and Nick Herbig is a very talented player who can get good pressure on the quarterback. The problem is that he's small, so he'll have to be a situational pass rusher to start, but I like this value at the end of the fourth round.

2023 Pick 145. (R:5 P:10) - Jammie Robinson, S, Florida State
B Jammie Robinson is great in run support, but can be lost in coverage. The Panthers have struggled to stop the run in recent years, so this pick makes sense.

2022 NFL Draft Selections and Grades

2022 Pick 6. (R:1 P:6) - Ikem Ekwonu, OT, N.C. State A- Grade
The Panthers are getting some value with this pick, as many believed that Ickey Ekwonu could have been the third-overall pick. More importantly, Carolina is taking Ekwonu over a mediocre quarterback prospect, which is the correct decision. The Panthers are better off either trading for Baker Mayfield (assuming the Browns take on some of his salary) or waiting until 2023 to land a quarterback. Either way, this quarterback will have quality protection because of Ekwonu.

2022 Pick 94. (R:3 P:30) - Matt Corral, QB, Ole Miss A+ Grade
I thought the Panthers would trade future picks for Matt Corral, but would do so in the second round! Getting Corral toward the end of the third frame is amazing value. I don't know why Corral slipped outside of possible injury or character concerns, but this was too far of a drop. He's a legitimate second-round quarterback who might be able to beat out Sam Darnold sooner rather than later.

2022 Pick 120. (R:4 P:15) - Brandon Smith, OLB, Penn State
B+ Grade
Brandon Smith has great athleticism and upside, so I like the Panthers taking a shot on him in the fourth round. He's also a versatile player who will be able to help the Panthers' defense in a number of ways, provided he lives up to his potential.

2022 Pick 189. (R:6 P:10) - Amare Barno, DE, Virginia Tech A Grade
I was told that the Panthers wanted to address their edge-rushing depth with one of their "earlier" picks in this draft. They finally addressed the situation with this pick, and they did so with an incredible value. I had Amare Barno in the third round of my mock in some updates!

2022 Carolina Panthers - Prospect:TBD

2022 Pick 243. (R:7 P:22) - Jaylen Watson, CB, Washington State
A+ Grade
What is happening!? How are these talented cornerbacks falling to the seventh round? As with Kalon Barnes, I had Jaylen Watson projected to the fourth round. The tall cornerback is a great value for the Chiefs in the final frame.

2021 NFL Draft Selections and Grades

2021 Pick 8. (R:1 P:8) - Jaycee Horn, CB, South Carolina B+ Grade
Many considered the elite non-quarterback prospects in this class to be Penei Sewell, Kyle Pitts, Ja'Marr Chase and the Alabama receivers. Some teams actually had Jaycee Horn in that pantheon, despite Patrick Surtain being a bigger name. Charlie and I have had Horn slotted to the Panthers to No. 8 for a long time for that reason. Horn is a great addition to a secondary that has to cover so many talented receivers in the NFC South.

2021 Pick 39. (R:2 P:7) - Teven Jenkins, OT, Oklahoma State A Grade
I mocked Teven Jenkins to the Bears at No. 20 in one of my final updates, so I obviously love this value with Teven Jenkins. I also love the pick because the Bears absolutely had to protect Justin Fields. Their offensive line has been in severe decline in recent years, so that seems to be changing.

2021 Pick 73. (R:3 P:9) - Milton Williams, , Louisiana Tech
B+ Grade
The Eagles have a new regime, but they're not done addressing the trenches. They lost talent at defensive tackle this offseason, and Milton Williams was a third-round prospect all the way, so selecting him makes sense. Williams has great upside, so I like this choice.

2021 Pick 113. (R:4 P:8) - Derrick Barnes, LB, Purdue
F Grade
The Lions traded up a whole round for a linebacker I had in the seventh round of my final mock draft. Yeah, not good. There were higher-rated linebackers available like Jabril Cox and Dylan Moses, so I don't understand why the Lions were so impatient.

2021 Pick 151. (R:5 P:7) - Larry Borom, , Missouri
C+ Grade
Larry Borom was announced as a tackle, but I think he'll have to move to guard in the NFL. This is just fine because the Bears drafted Teven Jenkins and have a need at guard. This is a bit of a reach, but now that we've entered the fifth round, that doesn't matter too much.

2021 Pick 191. (R:6 P:7) - Tarron Jackson, DE, Coastal Carolina
C+ Grade
Tarron Jackson was highly productive at Coastal Carolina, but level of competition is obviously a concern. Jackson is a medicore athlete, and I didn't have him in any of my mock drafts.

2021 Pick 193. (R:6 P:9) - Deonte Brown, G, Alabama
B Grade
Deonte Brown is a big name who was once in the second round of my mock draft. He's a monstrous run blocker, but there are concerns with his pass protection. He's a very poor athlete, but he'll be a mauler in the trenches.

2021 Carolina Panthers - Prospect:TBD

2020 NFL Draft Selections and Grades

2020 Carolina Panthers - Prospect:TBD

2019 NFL Draft Selections and Grades

2019 Carolina Panthers - Prospect:TBD

2018 NFL Draft Selections and Grades

2018 Carolina Panthers - Prospect:TBD

2017 NFL Draft Selections and Grades

2017 Carolina Panthers - Prospect:TBD

2016 NFL Draft Selections and Grades

2016 Carolina Panthers - Prospect:TBD

2015 NFL Draft Selections and Grades

2015 Carolina Panthers - Prospect:TBD

2014 NFL Draft Selections and Grades

2014 Carolina Panthers - Prospect:TBD