Carolina Panthers 2026 Draft Guide | Gridiron

THE REALITY

WHERE YOUR ROSTER STANDS

73TEAM OVR

3-4SCHEME

7PICKS (1ST: #19)

YOUR STARS

Tetairoa McMillan

WR★

99

Devin Lloyd

LB→

95

Bryce Young

QB↑

90

POSITIONAL NEEDS

WHERE THE PANTHERS NEED HELP

1

TEcritical

TE Ja'Tavion Sanders below starter threshold (rating 56, age 23)

2.5AV/yr

league avg: 1.7

URGENCY: 48/100

2

CBmoderate

LCB thin depth (backup Akayleb Evans rating 50)

3.4AV/yr

league avg: 3.4

URGENCY: 56/100

3

Smoderate

SS thin depth (backup missing)

4.2AV/yr

league avg: 3.5

URGENCY: 49/100

4

OTmoderate

RT thin depth (backup missing)

6.1AV/yr

league avg: 4.5

URGENCY: 44/100

5

EDGEmoderate

LDE thin depth (backup missing)

5.2AV/yr

league avg: 4.2

URGENCY: 30/100

See full analysis →

1,000,000 SIMULATIONS

YOUR DRAFT, SIMULATED 1M TIMES

We ran 1,000,000 AI mock drafts to map every possible outcome for your team. Here's who the data says you'll pick — round by round.

POSITIONS YOU'LL DRAFT

TE

100%

OT

100%

EDGE

99%

S

90%

DT

86%

CB

78%

WR

65%

IOL

37%

RB

24%

LB

17%

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DREAM SCENARIO

IF DRAFT ORDER DIDN'T MATTER

The prospects who would provide the biggest boost to your roster, regardless of where they get drafted.

David Bailey

EDGETexas TechFIT 70

93% match to John AbrahamGrade: 90

View Full Scouting Report →

Jeremiyah Love

RBNotre DameFIT 63

95% match to Darren McFaddenGrade: 92

View Full Scouting Report →

Francis Mauigoa

OTMiamiFIT 63

Fills Panthers' pressing need at OT — TRUE PASS SETS is a +41 upgrade.

Replaces Saahdiq Charles for a +15 upgrade

62% match to Chris SamuelsGrade: 85

View Full Scouting Report →

HIDDEN GEMS

SLEEPER PICKS FOR THE PANTHERS

ATHLETIC OUTLIER

D'Angelo Ponds

CBIndiana#65

99GEM SCORE

Athleticism score 99 despite #65 consensus

Athletic outliers at CB reach the Pro Bowl at a 12% rate (avg 5.7 AV/yr for Pro Bowlers)

ATHLETIC OUTLIER

Charles Demmings

CBStephen F. Austin#142

93GEM SCORE

Athleticism score 93 despite #142 consensus

Athletic outliers at CB reach the Pro Bowl at a 12% rate (avg 5.7 AV/yr for Pro Bowlers)

LOCKDOWN-COVER

Jalen Huskey

CBMaryland#228

93GEM SCORE

0.20 yards allowed per coverage snap on 358 cover snaps

Late-round film-elite CBs become starters at a 21% rate (avg 2.4 AV/yr)

Explore the Gem Detector →

DRAFT CAPITAL

YOUR 2026 AMMUNITION

R1

19

R2

51

R3

83

R4

119

R5

158★

159

R6

200

R7

No picks

7 total picks · 1st pick: #19 overall · 1 via trade

GM PROFILE

Dan Morgan

7 trades in 2025 (2 up, 5 down). New GM, used first draft to stack picks and build depth.

TRADE UP

55%

TRADE DOWN

80%

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Full Roster & Depth Chart

Every player rated, every position graded

See All 400+ Prospects

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Historical Comparisons

Every prospect matched to NFL history