CHARLOTTE (CHARLOTTE SPORTS LIVE) — For the third time in eight years and the fifth time in team history, the Carolina Panthers have the No. 8 overall pick in the NFL Draft.
The last two times have been some of the best draft picks in team history in Christian McCaffrey (2017) and Jacyee Horn (2021).
But on to 2025, where the Panthers have their own selection in the first round for the first time in the Dan Morgan/Dave Canales era.
Carolina was busy during free agency, but the players acquired shouldn’t stop the Panthers’ front office from picking the best player available, regardless of their position. According to NFL.com, the Panthers’ biggest needs heading into the draft are edge, safety, cornerback, wide receiver, and defensive line.
In the weeks leading up to the draft, the rumor that the Panthers could trade down from the #8 spot has been picking up steam. If that happens and you want to see how fair it is, check out this NFL Trade Value Chart that Hall of Famer Jimmy Johnson drew up in the 1990s, which gives a numerical representation to each draft pick.
Anything is possible, but without predicting trades, here are the most likely options for the Panthers in the first round.
LB Jalon Walker
The linebacker from Salisbury High School and the University of Georgia has been one of the most commonly mocked prospects for the Panthers. The No. 1 LB in the 2025 draft class had his best season by far in 2024 with 61 tackles and earned second-team All-SEC honors.
CSL was told the Panthers brass would be in Athens for Walker’s workout on Thursday, but later learned through other reports that they were not there. This could potentially mean the Panthers have decided he’s not the fit for them, or they have seen enough and he’s their guy at pick 8.
Edge Shemar Stewart
Stewart, a top-five edge in the 2025 draft class, can best be described in one word: Explosive. Among all edge prospects at the NFL combine, he was top-three in the 40-yard dash (4.59 seconds), vertical jump (40.00 inches), and broad jump (10 feet, 11 inches – 1st in Combine).
Aside from Pro Bowl DT Derrick Brown, the Panthers don’t have a pass rush threat on the edge. The former Texas A&M Aggie would fit in nicely with Evero’s defense, which only had 32 sacks in 2024 — tied for the 3rd worst in the NFL.
WR Tetairoa McMillan
Yes, Carolina took Gamecock Xavier Legette in the first round of the 2024 draft, but that should not stop them from at least considering the highest-rated wide receiver in the 2025 draft class. At 6-foot-4, 219 pounds, Tet McMillan busted onto the scene in 2022 as Arizona’s highest-ranked signed recruit in program history. In 2024, he was a first-team AP All-American and was third in the FBS with 1,319 receiving yards.
Adam Thielen led the Panthers in 2024 with only 615 receiving yards. With his size and ball skills, McMillan would give Bryce Young and the offense a much-needed threat in the passing game.
TE Tyler Warren
The fourth highest-rated prospect and top tight end in this year’s class did it all for the Penn State Nittany Lions in 2024. The John Mackey Award winner (nation’s top TE) tied for second in the FBS with a school-record 104 catches. Warren finished seventh in the Heisman Trophy voting, the highest finish by a tight end since 1977.
The Panthers haven’t had a 600-plus receiving yard season from a tight end since Greg Olsen in 2016. Warren is a big, versatile tight end who would be an instant impact for Carolina’s offense if he falls past the New York Jets at No. 7, where a lot of mock drafts have him going.
CB Will Johnson
Johnson, one of the nation’s top cornerback prospects, had a much better 2023 season than 2024. He tied the team lead with four interceptions in 2023 and helped Michigan’s defense win a national championship. He finished his collegiate career with seven interceptions and set the school record with three of those returned for touchdowns.
Johnson is a smart player who thrives in zone coverage. NFL Analyst Lance Zierlein compares him to Panthers CB Jaycee Horn, whom the Panthers handsomely extended in the offseason. Those two paired together in the secondary would make it a lot harder for opposing quarterbacks and wide receivers, who were able to throw for 35 touchdowns in 2024, the most allowed by any defense last season.
My dream scenario for the Panthers would be Michigan DT Mason Graham. The first-team AP All-American is quick and strong and finished 2024 with seven tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks. He’s currently projected to go to the Jacksonville Jaguars at No. 5, but if he’s available at pick 8, the Panthers’ defensive front of Derrick Brown and Graham would bring nightmares to opposing offensive lines.
After the 8th overall pick, the Panthers also have picks 57 (2nd-rounder via the Rams), 74 (3rd), 111 (4th), 114 (4th, via Cowboys), 140 (5th, via Giants), 146 (5th), 163 (5th, via Ravens), and 230 (7th, via Cardinals).
The first round of the NFL Draft starts on Thursday at 8 p.m. in Green Bay, and an hour before, at 7 p.m., CSL will be live on Queen City News and Queen City News+.
