B+
Carolina Panthers
Larceny in Round 4, Pick 20 lands the Panthers a B+, Scott and all.
by Dnice ·
2026 NFL Draft
· 12 picks
· 12 steals
· 0 reaches
When a board-topper like Keionte Scott slides to No. 120, you do not overthink it, and the Panthers did not. The bottom line is a respectable B+.
For all the activity, wide receiver went untouched, which is hard to explain. Stockpiling next year's capital is patient, if unglamorous, asset work. Cornerback is handled and the depth chart looks a good deal healthier for it.
They trusted the board more than the depth chart.
Nothing here to lose sleep over, and plenty to feel decent about.
Pick-by-Pick
In slot 31 they get a three-down second-level presence, outstanding value to boot. The biggest hole, addressed.
They barely believed it either: A.J. Haulcy still on the board at the Round 3 slot. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
You do not let a tight end like Eli Stowers reach pick 83 and blink. They did not. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
A top-tier edge rusher at a bargain, Jake Golday in No. 95, plain and simple. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
Keionte Scott at pick No. 120 is the steal of the weekend, a first-round talent at a bargain-bin price. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
They read the board right and Emmett Johnson was the payoff at Round 4, Pick 25. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
Somehow DeMonte Capehart was still sitting there in the 159th pick, and they pounced on premier interior defensive lineman value. Useful body for a position without much behind the starter.
The board fumbled Jaeden Roberts all the way to the 170th overall pick, and they scooped it up. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
Marlin Klein at slot 174 is the sort of value that quietly wins a weekend. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
Matt Gulbin in pick 200 should not have been possible, and that is the whole point. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
A tidy bit of business in the 201st overall pick, where Keagen Trost graded well above the range. The roster fit checks out.
A quiet steal in pick No. 202: Taylen Green for less than the market said. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.