B
Carolina Panthers
Grand theft in Round 3, Pick 19: the Panthers steal Slaughter and grade out a B.
by Mo ·
2026 NFL Draft
· 7 picks
· 6 steals
· 1 reaches
The best pick of the weekend was also the simplest. The Panthers watched Jake Slaughter slide 25 picks past his grade and did not hesitate.
For all the activity, edge rusher went untouched, which is hard to explain. The Wagner reach is the anchor dragging on the value grade.
Bottom line, more hits than misses and a roster nudged the right way.
Pick-by-Pick
In the Round 1 slot they get the heartbeat of the defense at a price that makes it sweeter. Exactly the need they had to hit.
Caleb Banks at pick 51 is the sort of value that quietly wins a weekend. A minor need, but a need all the same.
They will replay Jake Slaughter at slot 83 for years; that is how good the value is. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
Bryce Lance at pick No. 119 is a first-round grade at a bargain-bin price, no notes. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
Isaiah World in the 158th overall pick is a bargain the rest of the room will envy. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
Aamil Wagner at No. 159 is an overdraft of the loud, memorable kind. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
A tidy bit of business in Round 6, Pick 19, where Ephesians Prysock graded well above the range. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.