If the Carolina Panthers are sitting inside the top 10 of the 2027 draft, that would mean this season and the one after it went sideways in a big way. Coming off a 19th-place pick last year after reaching the playoffs, a slide that steep would be a real step backward.
The most obvious reason for that kind of collapse would be on offense. Carolina has poured enough into the defense that unit should be in better shape to keep the team afloat.
That doesn’t mean Bryce Young would be off the hook. If the Panthers stumble badly enough in year four for him and end up drafting that high, the quarterback conversation would get loud fast. A replacement would be on the table, and it wouldn’t be hard to justify.
But in FOX Sports insider Rob Rang’s latest mock draft, Carolina picks eighth and does something else entirely. Instead of moving on from Young, Rang has the Panthers giving him another major weapon.
That idea fits the reality of Carolina’s roster-building so far. The Panthers have tried to surround Young with help, adding Tetairoa McMillan, Jalen Coker, Jonathon Brooks, Ja'Tavion Sanders, Darren Waller, Mitchell Evans, Jimmy Horn Jr., and Xavier Legette since he was drafted.
The list sounds longer than the results have been. It doesn’t even include misses like Jonathan Mingo, Hunter Renfrow, and others.
Of the current group, only McMillan and Coker have really made their mark, with Brooks’ injury-riddled situation standing as the exception. The rest simply haven’t moved the needle.
So even with two first-round wideouts in the last three drafts, the Panthers could easily go back to that well again. That’s why passing on Makai Lemon stood out, and why Rang projects them to land Cam Coleman next year.
"A springy athlete with excellent size and tracking skills, Coleman reminds me a lot of another star wideout playing in Texas: Cowboys star George Pickens," Rang wrote, highlighting exactly why the Panthers should be interested.
"Pairing Coleman with reigning Offensive Rookie of the Year Tetairoa McMillan would give the Panthers the opportunity to better evaluate Bryce Young in what will be the last year of his rookie contract," he added.
That’s the real crux of the matter. A lot of observers already assume Carolina should move on from Young if the season goes off the rails and the losses pile up. Rang’s view is different: Young still hasn’t been given enough to work with.
His rookie year, in particular, was a mess that showed exactly how not to handle a young quarterback. The Panthers have done better since then, but not enough to fully support him.
So if this season goes bad and the draft position reflects it, the team would face a tough choice. The urge to start over would be real. But so would the argument that Young still hasn’t had a fair shot with a quality offense around him.
In Other News...
Panthers Backfield Plan Leaves Jonathon Brooks Facing A Familiar Problem
The Panthers are heading into the season with a backfield setup that should feel familiar to anyone who watched them last year. According to ESPNs Dan Graziano and offensive coordinator Ben Canales, Carolina plans to split carries between Chuba Hubbard and Jonathon Brooks, with Hubbard positioned to handle most of the work as long as he stays healthy. Brooks, meanwhile, is expected to mix in on third downs and in other situational spots, giving the room a layered but clearly defined hierarchy.
For Brooks, the arrangement leaves him in a role that looks a lot like what the Panthers already tried when Hubbard shared the load with Rico Dowdle. That split produced mixed results, and now Carolina is essentially betting it can get more out of the same kind of approach with a different cast of backs. The real question is whether Brooks can carve out a meaningful weekly role without the kind of steady volume that usually helps a young runner settle in. [Read more 🡒]
Chuba Hubbards New Panthers Role Says A Lot About 2026
Chuba Hubbards place in the Panthers offense is changing again, and this time it comes with more than touches and responsibilities. Named a team captain for the 2026 season, Hubbard enters the year as one of the clearest veteran voices on a roster trying to build on its 2025 playoff appearance, a sign that Carolina values him as much for his presence as for what he does with the ball.
With Rico Dowdle gone, Hubbard is expected to have a larger role in the offense, which makes the captaincy feel even more meaningful. He has already been a key contributor in previous seasons, and now the Panthers are asking him to help steady a group that wants to take the next step while leaning on familiar leadership in the backfield. [Read more 🡒]
Panthers Final Roster Leaves One Big Question Before Week 1
The Panthers roster trim came with a few eye-openers, most notably the decision to move on from Isaiah Simmons and JaSeem Reed while seeing Wallace claimed by the Jets. Carolina also chose to keep several players who did not get much preseason run but were viewed as necessary pieces, including Bobby Okereke, Haynes King, AJ Dillon and Darren Waller, a sign that the front office was prioritizing fit and depth as much as summer evaluation.
Even after the 53-man roster was set, the bigger concern is what the group still lacks heading into Week 1. Wide receiver, running back, tight end and quarterback all remain spots where the Panthers do not look especially settled, which means the final cutdown may be complete but the roster conversation is not. For a team trying to avoid early-season scrambling, those unresolved holes are the kind that can shape September before the games even start. [Read more 🡒]