NFL.com’s annual win-now mock draft gave the Carolina Panthers a pretty flattering spotlight, even if the fun of the exercise was in imagining an all-NFL board rather than projecting a real draft. In this year’s seven-round format, the reigning NFC South champs landed Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Micah Parsons and Fernando Mendoza at quarterback.
But the more revealing part for Carolina was seeing where its own players stacked up against the rest of the league. The first Panther off the board was linebacker Devin Lloyd at No. 77 overall to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. After that came Bryce Young at No. 97 to the Seattle Seahawks, Derrick Brown at No. 102 to the San Francisco 49ers, Tetairoa McMillan at No. 107 to the Los Angeles Chargers, Taylor Moton at No. 155 to the Houston Texans and Mike Jackson at No. 185 to the Kansas City Chiefs.
Young going that high is a notable sign of how his standing appears to be climbing around the league. He also recently earned his first spot on the NFL Top 100, where his peers placed him at No. 98.
Brown, meanwhile, still feels underappreciated in this kind of exercise. He’s Carolina’s best player and he’s doing it at a premium position, which only adds to his value in today’s game.
Lloyd being the first Panther selected is also worth noting, especially after his breakout season in Jacksonville last year. If he keeps playing at that level, it would be a major boost for Ejiro Evero’s defense.
And perhaps the cleanest takeaway of all: there were no truly harsh omissions. For Carolina, that’s a sign of real upward movement after several years of ignominy.
In Other News...
Panthers May Finally Have A Real Tight End Answer For Bryce Young
The Panthers have spent years trying to patch together a tight end room that never quite gave Bryce Young the kind of reliable middle-of-the-field answer every young quarterback needs. Since 2019, no Carolina tight end has gotten to 500 receiving yards, which helps explain why the position keeps coming up whenever the roster is discussed and why potential fixes tend to draw so much attention.
A few names already sit in the mix as Carolina weighs whether to trade, shop in free agency or simply keep looking for the right fit. Michael Mayer has been floated as a more sensible trade avenue than some other options, while Darren Waller still has enough juice to make the idea interesting after flashing in Miami, including a strong showing against the Panthers at Bank of America Stadium last season. Jonnu Smith, though, has emerged as the most practical target of the group, and if Carolina is serious about stabilizing this part of the offense, the choice may come down to whether it wants upside, familiarity or the cleanest path to making the position matter again. [Read more 🡒]
Panthers Suddenly Linked To A Tight End Upgrade Bryce Young Needs
The Panthers have spent the offseason trying to make the roster sturdier around Bryce Young, adding help on defense with Jaelan Phillips and Devin Lloyd and giving the future a little more upside with rookies like Monroe Freeling and Chris Brazzell II. The next obvious step is finding more reliable production at tight end, a spot that can make life easier for a young quarterback by cleaning up the middle of the field and giving him another dependable outlet when plays break down.
That is why the idea floating around ESPN caught some attention, even if it is still just that, an idea. Carolina has been linked to a potential move for a high-end tight end who has the kind of track record that would fit what the Panthers need, and Detroit's financial picture only adds to the speculation. Any deal would not be simple, though, because a trade would almost certainly have to come with real draft value and the kind of long-term commitment that turns a rumor into a major roster decision. [Read more 🡒]
Cam Newton Sounds Off After Troubling News About Former NFL Star
Chris Johnsons health news has landed with a jolt across the football world, and it has a lot of former players thinking beyond the diagnosis itself. The former running back carved out a remarkable NFL career from 2008 to 2017, highlighted by six straight 1,000-yard rushing seasons and a reputation as one of the fastest backs of his era, so hearing his name attached to a serious long-term illness naturally carries extra weight in league circles.
On his podcast, Cam Newton focused less on nostalgia and more on what comes next for the NFL and the people who played in it. Newton said he is very intrigued to see how the league responds and what its plan is to make the game safer while better protecting former players, a question that has only grown louder as more ex-NFL players have dealt with ALS. For Carolina fans, it was a reminder that the conversation around footballs toll does not end when a players career does. [Read more 🡒]