B-
Carolina Panthers
No fireworks, just a tidy B- for the Panthers.
by Keep Pounding ·
2026 NFL Draft
· 9 picks
· 1 steals
· 6 reaches
The Panthers looked at the value chart, folded it up, and took Marvin Jones Jr. at Round 7, Pick 2 regardless, 118 picks early. Nothing here to lose sleep over; call it a B-.
That safety hole did not close this weekend, and it was the biggest one on the wall. Hill Jr. at that cost is the sort of edge that compounds over a roster. They left with wide receiver solved and the rest of the wish list mostly ticked off.
All told, a draft that does its job without fuss, and there is real value in that.
Pick-by-Pick
In Round 1, Pick 19 they get a go-to option on the outside, though they paid up to get him. It fills the loudest need on the roster.
A quiet steal in pick 51: Anthony Hill Jr. for less than the market said. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
Jalon Kilgore in pick No. 92 is early enough to raise a brow, if not a full objection. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
The board screamed and they did not listen, reaching into the next round for Kaleb Proctor. Depth more than a fix, but depth they can use.
They took Julian Neal at par in the Round 4 slot, which is nothing to complain about. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
Quintayvious Hutchins at the 158th overall pick is the pick scouts circle, and not in a good way. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
A big swing on DJ Campbell at Round 5, Pick 19, well ahead of any board in the building. It fills a real need, too.
They paid sticker price for Pat Coogan in slot 200, and that is fine. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
A real head-scratcher, Marvin Jones Jr. in pick 218 is miles ahead of his ranking. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.