ctheis'S MOCK DRAFT
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ctheis'S MOCK DRAFT
RUN ON MAR 19, 2026

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Mock drafts from ctheis

number 1

  • ctheis DRAFTING FOR THE
    Panthers
Draft Selections
Sonny Styles Head Shot
PICK: 18 RND: 1 (CAR)
Sonny Styles
LB Ohio State
Caleb Banks Head Shot
PICK: 51 RND: 2 (CAR)
Caleb Banks
DL Florida
Connor Lew Head Shot
PICK: 83 RND: 3 (CAR)
Connor Lew
C Auburn
Joe Royer Head Shot
PICK: 119 RND: 4 (CAR)
Joe Royer
TE Cincinnati
Aamil Wagner Head Shot
PICK: 158 RND: 5 (CAR)
Aamil Wagner
OT Notre Dame
Aaron Anderson Head Shot
PICK: 169 RND: 5 (CAR)
Aaron Anderson
WR LSU
Ephesians Prysock Head Shot
PICK: 200 RND: 6 (CAR)
Ephesians Prysock
CB Washington
Cole Payton Head Shot
PICK: 210 RND: 6 (CAR)
Cole Payton
QB North Dakota State
Draft Picks Received
Sonny Styles Head Shot
PICK: 18 RND: 1 (MIN)
Sonny Styles
LB Ohio State
Aaron Anderson Head Shot
PICK: 169 RND: 5 (KC)
Aaron Anderson
WR LSU
Cole Payton Head Shot
PICK: 210 RND: 6 (KC)
Cole Payton
QB North Dakota State
Draft Picks Traded
Arvell Reese Head Shot
PICK: 19 RND: 1 (MIN)
Arvell Reese
LB Ohio State
Kaleb Proctor Head Shot
PICK: 159 RND: 5 (KC)
Kaleb Proctor
DL SE Louisiana
No Pick Head Shot
PICK: RND: 7 (LV)
NEXT YEAR (2027)
 
Draft Grade — Panthers
Overall B
ValueB- NeedB+ TradesB- FutureB-
The Panthers kept it disciplined and banked a B.

The Panthers treated their own grade as gospel and everyone else's as noise, spending pick No. 210 on Cole Payton a full 28 spots early.

Lew at that cost is the sort of edge that compounds over a roster. That edge rusher hole did not close this weekend, and it was the biggest one on the wall. On the needs board they went 6 of 9, with wide receiver the one that mattered most.

Nearly every premium pick went to that side of the ball.

In short, they left a little better than they arrived, which is the whole idea.

Pick Analysis
Pick18 Rnd1 Sonny Styles
They took Sonny Styles at par in the 18th overall pick, which is nothing to complain about. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
Pick51 Rnd2 Caleb Banks
The board had Caleb Banks higher than slot 51, and the interior defensive lineman fell to them anyway. Depth more than a fix, but depth they can use.
Pick83 Rnd3 Connor Lew
You do not let an offensive lineman like Connor Lew reach pick 83 and blink. They did not. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
Pick119 Rnd4 Joe Royer
No drama and no debate, Joe Royer went about where he belonged in Round 4, Pick 19. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
Pick158 Rnd5 Aamil Wagner
Aamil Wagner in the Round 5 slot is exactly on the number, no argument either way. A need, and now a little less of one.
Pick169 Rnd5 Aaron Anderson
A straight-up fair deal on Aaron Anderson at pick No. 169, value and slot in agreement. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
Pick200 Rnd6 Ephesians Prysock
Ephesians Prysock at slot 200 is the steal of the weekend, a first-round talent at a bargain-bin price. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
Pick210 Rnd6 Cole Payton
They talked themselves into Cole Payton at the 210th pick, and the board did not agree. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.