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Draft Grade — Panthers
Overall
B-
ValueC
NeedA-
TradesB-
FutureB-
The Panthers did the meat-and-potatoes work well: B-. Call it belief, call it a gut call, but O'Donnell Fortune at the 74th overall pick is 77 spots clear of consensus, and that is the headline. It nets out to a B-, which feels about right.
They will regret leaving linebacker for another day if the season turns on it. Wide receiver is handled and the depth chart looks a good deal healthier for it.
In sum, a sensible class that nudges the roster the right way.
Pick Analysis
Pick8
Rnd1
James Pearce Jr.
They took James Pearce Jr. at par in the Round 1 slot, which is nothing to complain about. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
Pick57
Rnd2
Jayden Higgins
Jayden Higgins at pick No. 57 is neither steal nor reach, just the going rate. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
Pick74
Rnd3
O'Donnell Fortune
A wild overpay on O'Donnell Fortune in slot 74, the sort that defines a class for the wrong reasons. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.



