B-
Carolina Panthers
The Panthers checked most of the boxes and earned a B-.
by micahmillll ·
2026 NFL Draft
· 7 picks
· 2 steals
· 1 reaches
The tape said wait; the Panthers did not. Lander Barton went at the 200th overall pick, a good 43 picks before the board was ready.
The Wheatley value carries more weight than any single miss elsewhere. They will regret leaving edge rusher for another day if the season turns on it.
Wide receiver is handled and the depth chart looks a good deal healthier for it.
All told, a draft that does its job without fuss, and there is real value in that.
Pick-by-Pick
In slot 19 they get a security blanket over the middle. A real need, handled.
Quietly one of the better values of the day, Caleb Banks at the 51st overall pick. It thickens a room that could stand to be thicker.
No edge and no loss on Skyler Bell in No. 83; it is a wash and a sensible one. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
The board fumbled Zakee Wheatley all the way to the Round 4 slot, and they scooped it up. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
Charles Demmings at pick No. 158 is a sensible buy, a touch better than market for the cornerback. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
They paid sticker price for Beau Stephens in the 159th pick, and that is fine. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
They left a pile of value on the table to take Lander Barton this early at the 200th overall pick. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.