NFL mock draft: Panthers land pass rusher and haul of picks after Day 1 trade
The Panthers’ roster will get some notable reinforcements this weekend, as Carolina prepares for the annual NFL Draft, which begins on Thursday.
With the selection process only a day away, The Observer decided to get out the crystal ball and predict what the Panthers will do during the three-day event.
Below is a seven-round, Panthers-only mock draft:
Panthers mock draft: A trade in the first round
The Panthers trade the eighth and 57th overall picks to the Miami Dolphins for the 13th, 48th and 98th overall picks, plus a 2026 third-round pick.
Miami trades up to have its pick of the second-best cornerback, second-best offensive tackle, and running back Ashton Jeanty.
The trade market for potential trade ups will seemingly be more difficult than in recent years, so if the Panthers want to get out of the No. 8, they’ll need to be creative. This trade should appeal to the Dolphins, as they can still pick in the second round and are just giving up two third-round picks (one in 2026) to move up and get their prized prospect.
The Panthers benefit by closing the gap between their first- and second-round picks, while adding a Day 2 pick this year and next year. The Panthers would then have 10 picks this weekend and expand their total to eight for 2026.
First round, 13th overall (via Miami): Donovan Ezeiruaku, OLB, Boston College
Some might consider this pick to be a reach, but with the trade compensation that is accompanying Ezeiruaku to Carolina, it’s actually a pretty optimal outcome for the Panthers.
Ultimately, it feels like the Panthers would be more than welcome to a trade back, and this scenario is probably an ideal slide length.
In college, Ezeiruaku was an absolute force on the edge. While he’s somewhat slender for the position, the 6-foot-2, 248-pound pass rusher produced 16.5 sacks during his final year in college. He also ran a phenomenal 6.94-second 3-cone drill at the NFL Scouting Combine, which puts him in elite company as a pass rusher.
Ezeiruaku’s breakout season might cause some to pause on him as a “one year wonder,” but he produced 13.5 sacks in his first three years with the program, too. Ezeiruaku’s first three years of production at BC — not counting his 16.5 total in 2024 — was nine sacks better than fellow projected first-round pick Shemar Stewart’s three-year stint (4.5) at Texas A&M.
Ezeiruaku, at just 21, has room to grow in both his game and his body. He’s drawn comparisons to former Pro Bowl pass rusher Yannick Ngakoue. However, this beat writer is reminded of former Seattle Seahawks defensive end Cliff Avril when watching Ezeiruaku.
Avril, another former Pro Bowl pass rusher, was in Seattle with Panthers general manager Dan Morgan and coach Dave Canales during their time together with the Seahawks.
Second round, 48th overall (via Miami): Carson Schwesinger, ILB, UCLA
There’s a decent possibility that Schwesinger doesn’t fall this far, but once you get past the top 30, the draft is largely a collection of chaos.
Schwesinger is an athletic inside linebacker who can do it all. He can tackle, he can run, and he can sure as heck cover. He is one of the better coverage linebackers in the class and that element of his game could really entice Morgan and company to bring him to Carolina.
Schwesinger might fall down the board because he was a one-year starter at UCLA. He redshirted as a freshman and was mostly a special teams ace during his sophomore and junior years. But as a senior, he led the FBS with 90 solo tackles. He also produced four sacks, two interceptions and three pass breakups.
If the Panthers want a long-term upgrade at the inside linebacker position, Schwesinger can be that guy, even if he doesn’t start immediately over Trevin Wallace and Josey Jewell.
Third round, 74th overall: Kyle Williams, WR, Washington State
Williams, listed as 5-11 and 190 pounds, has been discussed as a riser among the draft evaluator community. But with the way the board fell, the Panthers nab him on Day 2.
Williams would bring much-needed speed and quickness to the wideout room in Carolina. The 22-year-old playmaker was mostly used on the outside for the Cougars, and he was highly productive.
In two seasons with Washington State, he caught 131 passes for 2,040 receiving yards and 20 touchdowns. He averaged 17.1 yards per catch with 70 receptions last season, which is exceptional production.
In short, Williams would be an excellent long-term complement to Xavier Legette and Jalen Coker.
Third round, 98th overall (via Miami): Nohl Williams, CB, California
Defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero tends to favor long, lengthy cornerbacks who excel in zone coverage. Well, Williams fits that bill.
The 6-foot, 199-pound corner was an interception machine during his time in college. He collected nine interceptions in his two years with the Bears. While he might not be the best answer for the slot, he’d be a swell option behind Jaycee Horn and Mike Jackson as the top backup at outside cornerback. He could also be an eventual successor to Jackson.
The trade with Miami ends up helping fill out an important position ahead of Day 3.
Fourth round, 111th overall: Billy Bowman, S, Oklahoma
The Panthers are light on safety depth, and they should ideally come out of the draft with at least one potential starter at the position. Yes, Julian Blackmon and Marcus Williams still linger in free agency, but the Panthers ideally need to house a unit that can use a big nickel in their Cover 3-heavy secondary.
When Tre’von Moehrig potentially plays the role of dime linebacker or a big nickel safety, the Panthers need two really good safeties to scale the top of the field. Enter Bowman, who is a skilled ballhawk. The 5-10, 192-pound defensive back produced 11 interceptions in his final three seasons with the Sooners.
Bowman could handle the single-high looks when Moehrig heads to the box. He’d also be a deep-field complement to Williams or Blackmon, if either were signed after the draft.
It also wouldn’t be surprising to see the Panthers potentially use Bowman at the nickel position as well.
Fourth round, 114th overall (via Dallas): Jonas Sanker, S, Virginia
A fourth-round double dip at safety felt prudent. The Panthers are entering the draft with just three safeties under contract, and while the team likes Nick Scott and Demani Richardson, both should see considerable competition this summer.
Sanker can come in and compete with Richardson and Bowman for playing time. He has good size (6-0, 206 lbs.) and speed (4.48-second 40-yard dash time) at the position. He can also be a special teams replacement at gunner for the recently departed Sam Franklin, who signed with Denver this month.
Sanker isn’t the ballhawk that Bowman is, but he did collect 17 pass breakups over the past three years. He also has two interceptions, four forced fumbles and a blocked field goal on his resume.
Fifth round, 140th overall (via New York Giants): Devin Neal, RB, Kansas
The Panthers are still looking for running back help. Even after signing Rico Dowdle in free agency, Carolina could still use depth behind Chuba Hubbard with Jonathon Brooks sidelined following a second ACL surgery.
Neal rushed for 4,343 yards and 49 touchdowns during his four-year career with the Jayhawks. He also caught 77 passes for 711 receiving yards and four touchdowns during that timeframe.
Neal fits the consistency pattern with Hubbard and Dowdle as a steady, between-the-tackles runner with receiving ability. Canales said last month that he appreciated having a rotation of players who could provide consistent tools.
Neal has the upside to be a long-term No. 2 RB if Dowdle signs elsewhere in 2026, or Brooks has trouble coming back from another major surgery.
Fifth round, 146th overall: Mitchell Evans, TE, Notre Dame
This is a bit late for a tight end pick, but this beat writer expects the Panthers to address the position at some point this weekend. Evans has great size (6-5, 258 lbs.) for the position, and he has a relatively productive college resume.
While he sustained a torn ACL as a junior, he was able to return his senior year and catch 43 passes for 421 yards and three touchdowns. Despite recovering from the knee injury, he played in all 16 games (11 starts) last year.
Evans has shown he can catch the ball cleanly. He is also a solid blocker in the run game. He fits Canales’ versatility marks for the position, even if his injury history isn’t all that clean. He wouldn’t have fallen this far without the injury red flags, but at this point in the draft, those issues are worth the risk.
Fifth round, 163rd overall (via Baltimore): Hollin Pierce, OT, Rutgers
Call it a hunch, but it feels like the Panthers are keeping their offensive tackle options open for a reason. While they might not attack the position in the early days of the draft, it wouldn’t be completely surprising to see them bring in a potential project with upside this offseason.
The Panthers still need to make a decision on left tackle Ikem Ekwonu’s fifth-year option. They also plan to play Taylor Moton in the final year of his contract. There is a potential scenario where one or both starting tackles aren’t back in 2026. While both leaving is unlikely, one of them leaving seems pretty realistic, so developing a youngster behind him makes sense.
Pierce wouldn’t have to play in 2025 unless the injury bug hit again. The team has Brady Christensen and Yosh Nijman as safeguards for the tackle positions. But Hollins could develop with the help of offensive tackle Joe Gilbert and run-game coordinator Harold Goodwin behind the scenes.
Pierce is a hulking bully of a presence on the line at 6-8 and 341 pounds. He has played both left and right tackle in college, starting 26 games on the left side and 24 games on the right side. Even if the Panthers re-sign both Ekwonu and Moton beyond this season, Pierce could be a worthwhile (and cost-controlled) swing tackle for years to come.
Seventh round, 230th overall (via Arizona): Andres Borregales, K, Miami
The Panthers need a kicker, and Borregales was one of the best in college football over the past two seasons. He has a strong leg and accuracy from deep on field goals.
Over the past two seasons, he made six of his eight attempts from beyond 50 yards with a high of 56 yards this past season. He also told The Observer that he’d like to play for Carolina at the NFL Scouting Combine in February.
Borregales worked with Panthers special teams assistant coach Daren Bates at the Shrine Bowl in January, so there’s a connection there, too.
