CHARLOTTE, N.C. — So much for waiting until the second day to snag a wide receiver for Bryce Young.
After months of constant chatter about improving the league’s worst defense, the Carolina Panthers pulled off a bit of a surprise Thursday night by selecting Arizona wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan with the No. 8 pick.
Panthers general manager Dan Morgan said he hasn’t forgotten about the defense, something defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero undoubtedly will be glad to hear. “We have eight picks left and our board has a lot of defensive guys on there, as well,” Morgan said. “So it’s definitely not something that we’re gonna neglect.”
As of now, the Panthers have a pair of picks Friday — No. 57 and 74. That’s a long time to wait in the second round, so Morgan could try to move up. The Athletic looks at some of the players Morgan could be eyeing.
(All player rankings based on Dane Brugler’s top 300 prospects list)
Day 2 targets
Edge rushers
10. Mike Green, Marshall
No FBS player had more sacks than Green (17) in 2024. But a pair of sexual assault allegations — one in high school and another at Virginia — have reportedly prompted some teams to remove Green from their boards.
22. Donovan Ezeiruaku, Boston College
Won the Ted Hendricks Award as the country’s top defensive end after finishing second behind Green among all FBS players with 16 1/2 sacks.
43. JT Tuimoloau, Ohio State
47. Landon Jackson, Arkansas
The 6-6, 264-pound Jackson looks the part. Jackson had 16 sacks and 26.5 tackles for loss over the past three seasons for the Razorbacks.
52. Jordan Burch, Oregon
59. Nic Scourton, Texas A&M
64. Oluwafemi Oladejo, UCLA
71. Princely Umanmielen, Ole Miss
99. Bradyn Swinson, LSU
A pure, 3-4 outside linebacker, Swinson would have to get bigger and stronger to become a three-down defender.
Safeties
17. Nick Emmanwori, South Carolina
Morgan said the Panthers would like to draft a safety this week and Emmanwori — who was projected by many as a first-round pick — has slipped to Day 2. The Panthers have drafted more players from South Carolina than any other school. Morgan would probably have to move up for the trend to continue.
54. Xavier Watts, Notre Dame
The Panthers need a ballhawk on the back end to pair with run-stopping safety Tre’Von Moehrig. With 13 interceptions over his final two seasons in South Bend, Watts fits the bill.
83. Kevin Winston Jr., Penn State
Winston was considered a top-50 prospect before tearing his ACL in the Nittany Lions’ second game.
Cornerbacks
67. Jacob Parrish, Kansas State
Though he lacks the length the Panthers like in their corners, it’s hard to ignore Parrish’s speed (he was a state-champion sprinter in high school) and ball skills (five INTs and 23 PBUs his last two college seasons).
94. Quincy Riley, Louisville
Linebackers
38. Carson Schwesinger, UCLA
The former walk-on developed into a first-team All-American after leading the Big Ten with 136 tackles last season, when he also had two INTs. Think a West Coast version of Luke Kuechly.
Tight ends
33. Mason Taylor, LSU
Taylor, the son of Dolphins icon Jason Taylor and nephew of Zach Thomas, caught 55 passes last year for the Tigers.
41. Elijah Arroyo, Miami
75. Terrance Ferguson, Oregon
The 6-5, 247-pound Ferguson saw 72.1 percent of his catches in 2024 go for a first down or touchdown.
82. Harold Fannin, Bowling Green
The Canton, Ohio, native had the best receiving season by a tight end in history, setting records at the position with a ridiculous 117 catches and 1,555 receiving yards. But Fannin is not overly big or fast.
Offensive tackles
37. Aireonate Ersery, Minnesota
79. Ozzy Trapilo, Boston College
The 6-8, 316-pound Trapilo certainly has the size — and the genes: His late father also was a BC lineman before playing several seasons with the New Orleans Saints.
88. Charles Grant, William & Mary
Not since Cam Newton attended Tribe games a few years ago to watch his brother play has there been this much enthusiasm for the FBS school in Williamsburg, Va. Grant’s pro day drew a crowd.
Day 3 targets
Defensive players (in order of DT/edge/secondary/LB)
118. Cam Jackson, DT, Florida
127. Deone Walker, DT, Kentucky
One of the biggest players in the draft, it’s easy to imagine the 6-7, 331-pound Walker clogging running lanes in Ejiro Evero’s 3-4 defense.
161. JJ Pegues, DT, Ole Miss
227. Warren Brinson, DT, Georgia
274. Tonka Hemingway, DT, South Carolina
78. Ashton Gillotte, edge, Louisville
139. Kyle Kennard, edge, South Carolina
Georgia Tech transfer topped Abdul Carter and Mason Graham for the Nagurski Trophy as the nation’s top defender. He led the SEC and finished in the top 10 nationally with 11 1/2 sacks. NFL.com’s comp for Kennard is Panthers edge (an ex-Gamecock) D.J. Wonnum.
173. Jared Ivey, edge, Ole Miss
Ivey (6-5 1/2, 274) will need to improve his pass-rush arsenal to be effective at the next level. But the Georgia Tech transfer piled up 16 sacks against SEC competition during three seasons in Oxford, so the talent is there.
190. Que Robinson, edge, Alabama
85. Billy Bowman Jr., S, Oklahoma
Bowman led the Big 12 with six interceptions in 2023, including three he returned for touchdowns.
97. Jonas Sanker, S, Virginia
Besides leading the Cavaliers in tackles in 2024, Sanker also blocked a field goal, broke up five passes and returned a fumble 40 yards for a touchdown.
109. Andrew Mukuba, S, Texas
130. Malachi Moore, S, Alabama
133. Jaylen Reed, S, Penn State
125. Dorian Strong, CB, Virginia Tech
193. Zy Alexander, CB, LSU
120. Demetrius Knight, LB, South Carolina
156. Cody Simon, LB, Ohio State
194. Shemar James, LB, Florida
James, a team captain his final season in Gainesville, won’t turn 21 until late June.
222. Eugene Asante, LB, Auburn
Morgan’s seventh-round LB pick last year didn’t last long, although Michael Barrett netted them CB Mike Jackson in a trade with Seattle. Asante tallied 133 tackles and 7 1/2 sacks over his final two seasons.
Offensive players (in order of TE/RB/OL)
131. Oronde Gadsden II, TE, Syracuse
First-team, All-ACC pick last year after hauling in 73 passes for 934 yards and seven TDs.
187. Jake Briningstool, TE, Clemson
Annual reminder that the Panthers have never drafted a Clemson player. So Briningstool could make history.
92. RJ Harvey, RB, UCF
111. Jarquez Hunter, RB, Auburn
The compactly built Hunter (5-9, 204 pounds) was a state-champion power lifter in high school who rushed for a combined 2,000 yards over his final two seasons at Auburn.
136. Ollie Gordon II, RB, Oklahoma State
Gordon was one of three Day-3 running backs who reportedly had pre-draft visits with the Panthers. It makes sense, given Jonathon Brooks’ uncertain future and Rico Dowdle’s one-year contract.
184. Carson Vinson, OT, Alabama A&M
Vinson has a huge frame (6-7, 314) and will need some fine-tuning at the next level. The Morrisville, N.C., native is hoping to become Alabama A&M’s first drafted player since 2011.
200. Hollin Pierce, OT, Rutgers
141. Drew Kendall, C, Boston College
153. Caleb Rogers, G, Texas Tech
177. Joshua Gray, G/C, Oregon State
Specialists
NR Andres Borregales, K, Miami
NR Ryan Fitzgerald, K, Florida State
(Photo of Emmanwori: Kevin Jairaj / Imagn Images)
