B
Carolina Panthers
The Panthers checked most of the boxes and earned a B.
by Sean ·
2026 NFL Draft
· 7 picks
· 1 steals
· 3 reaches
The Panthers bet big and early on Kaleb Elarms-Orr, 23 picks ahead of the board. Bold does not always mean right. More right than wrong, and a B to match.
Leaving wide receiver unaddressed is the roster risk they will have to answer for in the fall. Landing Styles that late papers over a lot of smaller sins. The roster is better shaped than it was, with cornerback chief among the fixes.
Nearly every premium pick went to that side of the ball.
Bottom line, more hits than misses and a roster nudged the right way.
Pick-by-Pick
In Round 1, Pick 19 they get a coverage-and-run second-level piece at a price that makes it sweeter. The biggest hole, addressed.
D'Angelo Ponds at the Round 2 slot is a sound buy, the sort that quietly helps a class. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
They reached into another round for Bud Clark, and the board is nowhere close to agreeing. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
A reach on Oscar Delp in the 119th pick; the board had better options right there. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
Zxavian Harris at No. 158 is right where the board had him, plain and simple. A minor itch, scratched.
The board screamed and they did not listen, reaching into the next round for Kaleb Elarms-Orr. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
Taylen Green in pick No. 200 is fine work, a shade of surplus and no downside. The roster fit checks out.