The Carolina Panthers made a surprise playoff run during the 2025 NFL season. They even held their own against an excellent Rams team that nearly made the Super Bowl. But now expectations will be a lot higher in 2026 for the Panthers. Especially with QB Bryce Young in year four.
The upcoming offseason will be incredibly important for the Panthers. Carolina has an opportunity to take over the NFC South if they make some smart moves in free agency and the draft.
But which positions should the Panthers target in the 2026 NFL Draft? And are there any players that Panthers fans should keep their eyes on this spring?
Below we will explore a seven-round 2026 mock draft courtesy of the PFF mock draft simulator.
Round 1, Pick 19: CB Avieon Terrell, Clemson
Carolina lands one of the best cornerbacks in this year's draft class in Terrell.
The Panthers don't have a massive need at cornerback since they already have Jaycee Horn as their starter. However, they use this first-round pick to turn that position group into a legitimate strength moving forward.
Avieon, the younger brother of Falcons CB AJ Terrell, is a versatile defender who can thrive in both man and zone coverage schemes. That makes him a great fit in any NFL defense.
Terrell is a bit undersized at 5-foot-11 and 180 pounds. However, his solid coverage skills and knack for creating turnovers could make up for it.
This is a classic positional value pick by the Panthers.
Round 2, Pick 51: DT Lee Hunter, Texas Tech
The Panthers desperately need to upgrade their talent on the interior of their defensive line. Derrick Brown is great, but A'Shawn Robinson is getting older and there are no immediate replacements already on the roster.
That's where Hunter comes in.
Hunter is a prototypical nose tackle, measuring 6-foot-4 and 330 pounds. He does everything that NFL teams want a nose tackle to do against the run. But Hunter also has the motor and some of the moves needed to rush the passer.
But he's not perfect. Hunter needs to improve his technique and most of hsi value comes defending the run.
Still, the Panthers can afford to add a specialist like Hunter since they already have Brown on their defensive line.
Round 3, Pick 83: DT Darrell Jackson Jr., Florida State
Carolina doubles down on that need by adding Jackson in the third round.
Jackson has many of the same strengths and weaknesses as Hunter. He is also quite large at 6-foot-5 and 337 pounds.
Personally, I don't love spending two Day 2 picks on nose tackles. But the Panthers want to control the pace of the game, which they are already great at when running the football. It makes sense to want to control the trenches on defense too.
Scouts don't seem to think that either Hunter or Jackson is an immediate starter. For Carolina, I could see both players sharing the same role and rotating in and out during games.
Round 4, Pick 119: RB Nicholas Singleton, Penn State
There once was a time when Singleton was viewed as the next great running back to come out of Penn State.
He splashed onto the scene in 2022, logging 1,061 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns. But he has yet to reach those same heights ever since.
Still, Singleton is a great downhill runner who can thrive in a power running scheme like Carolina's.
Singleton would join a crowded backfield with Chuba Hubbard, Trevor Etienne, and Jonathon Brooks (if he can stay healthy). Singleton could become a useful hammer for the Panthers, punishing opposing defenses in a rotational role.
I think Carolina has more pressing needs, but I like the vision of this pick.
Round 5, Pick 156: WR Chase Roberts, BYU
The Panthers just keep adding huge wide receivers.
Roberts is an X receiver who stands tall at 6-foot-4 and 210 pounds. He has soft hands and uses his large size to overpower smaller defensive backs. Roberts would fit right in with Tetairoa McMillan and Xavier Legette, giving the Panthers several large targets for Young to throw to.
But Roberts is available in the fifth round because he lacks top-end speed and only has adequate quickness and acceleration. He is also on the older side, which may take him off the board for some teams.
This pick is okay when viewing Roberts as a depth piece. But it is not my favorite selection.
Round 5, Pick 157: EDGE Malachi Lawrence, UCF
Lawrence is built like an NFL edge rusher. His 35-inch arms are his best measurable trait, giving him excellent reach against the giant offensive linemen in the NFL.
Lawrence is a versatile pass rusher who generated plenty of pressure at UCF going up against solid Big 12 competition. Any team picking Lawrence will want to use him as a pass rusher right away.
But the biggest issue with Lawrence is run defense. He is only 250 pounds and does not look like he'll be a factor against the run early in his career. Naturally, that could hold him back from a starting job.
Carolina already has a pair of young edge rushers in Nic Scourton and Princely Umanmielen. At best, I think Lawrence could be a rotational pass rusher on some obvious passing downs.
Ultimately, Lawrence might end up as a practice squad player who would need to develop more to earn a larger role in Carolina. Perhaps that changes after the 2026 season.
Round 6, Pick 199: WR Caleb Douglas, Texas Tech
Carolina just can't help themselves with these tall wide receivers!
The Panthers add another big receiver in Douglas. The 6-foot-4, 205-pound Texas Tech product can line up almost anywhere on the field. He is capable of winning both outside and inside, making him an ideal prospect for teams looking for a “big slot” wide receiver.
Douglas also brings all of the expected benefits of a large wide receivers with a huge catch radius.
Personally, I think Douglas would have a better chance of sticking on the roster than Roberts. I don't like using two picks on receivers, but the Panthers do get excellent value on Douglas in the sixth round.
Solid pick.
Round 7, Pick 235: S Jalen Catalon, Missouri
Catalon is a slot/safety hybrid who excels in zone coverage and when defending the run.
He has excellent ball skills, delivers big hits, and even has some great intangibles. So why is he still available at the bottom of the draft?
Catalon is a bit of a lottery pick because of his extensive injury history. There's enough to like about Catalon to take a shot on him, but there's no guarantee he'll make it as a pro.
If he hits, he could become a depth piece behind Chau Smith-Wade and Tre-Von Moehrig.
