B
Carolina Panthers
Good, not great, for the Panthers: B.
by Mo ·
2026 NFL Draft
· 9 picks
· 6 steals
· 2 reaches
The move everyone will second-guess came early. The Panthers reached some 59 spots for Haynes King, and value like that does not grow back.
They punted on edge rusher, and it is the miss that keeps the grade honest. That is an offensive lineman worth more than the slot they spent on him, plainly.
A tidy weekend of work that should hold up just fine.
Pick-by-Pick
In pick 19 they get a downhill thumper at linebacker at a price that makes it sweeter. It fills the loudest need on the roster.
Caleb Banks in the 51st pick is a bargain the rest of the room will envy. A quiet depth add at a thin-ish spot.
Quietly one of the better values of the day, Treydan Stukes at the Round 3 slot. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
Genesis Smith slipping to slot 120 is the kind of luck good rooms make for themselves. It fills a real need, too.
A straight-up fair deal on Kage Casey at pick No. 158, value and slot in agreement. The roster fit checks out.
CJ Daniels is a better player than No. 159 suggests; smart patience, rewarded. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
A quiet steal in the Round 6 slot: Anez Cooper for less than the market said. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
The board screamed and they did not listen, reaching into the next round for Fa'alili Fa'amoe. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
A big swing on Haynes King at slot 255, well ahead of any board in the building. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.