NFL Draft 2025: Eighth overall pick has turned out well for Panthers
The Carolina Panthers will select eighth overall in Thursday’s NFL Draft. And while some fans are disappointed their favorite team won’t be picking higher, the good news is that Carolina — in its limited history — has had quite a bit of luck with the No. 8 spot.
The Panthers have picked eighth overall four times. While running back Tim Biakabutuka wasn’t the superstar the team was hoping he’d be after taking him eighth overall in 1996, left tackle Jordan Gross turned out to be an All-Pro and Pro Bowl lineman during his 11-year career after being selected No. 8 in 2003.
In recent years, the No. 8 overall pick has led to pricey extensions for the Panthers. Running back Christian McCaffrey (2017) and cornerback Jaycee Horn (2021) blossomed into Pro Bowl talents during their rookie contracts and were rewarded with huge second deals. Horn, the team’s most recent No. 8 pick, signed a four-year, $100 million contract last month.
The eighth overall selection isn’t considered prime real estate in the first round, but as recent history shows, it can lead to significant returns if used correctly.
Here’s a breakdown of the past 10 eighth overall picks:
2024: Michael Penix Jr., QB, Atlanta Falcons
The Falcons’ three-year relationship with the eighth overall pick will (likely) come to an end this week. Last offseason, Atlanta surprised the league by taking Penix in the top 10 after paying Kirk Cousins a blockbuster contract. That selection has turned out to be somewhat shrewd as Cousins dealt with injuries and poor play last year. But the jury is still out on Penix, who lost a season-finale dual against Bryce Young and the Panthers in January.
2023: Bijan Robinson, RB, Atlanta Falcons
Robinson was clearly the top running back talent in the 2023 class as a prospect. The Falcons, looking for a spark on offense, selected Robinson and sent him off to the races. It was clear early on that he’d be a problem for the rest of the NFC South, and through just two seasons, Robinson has amassed 2,432 rushing yards, 918 receiving yards and 23 total touchdowns.
2022: Drake London, WR, Atlanta Falcons
The first of three consecutive No. 8 picks for the Falcons, London was a big-bodied threat for the passing game. While he didn’t run a 40-yard dash during his draft journey, Atlanta felt comfortable with his playmaking skill set, and so far, he’s delivered on his promise. In 2024, he posted career high numbers, collecting 100 catches for 1,271 yards and nine touchdowns. London is durable, talented and produces when called upon.
2021: Jaycee Horn, CB, Carolina Panthers
While a rash of notable injuries sapped the early returns for the Panthers, Horn showed in 2024 that he can be a top-tier cornerback when healthy. Horn made his first Pro Bowl during the fourth year of his rookie contract, as he showed the ability to make plays as pass defender, a blitzer and a run-stopper. Horn, still just 25, has upside to explore after signing a new deal.
2020: Isaiah Simmons, LB, Arizona Cardinals
Simmons, a Clemson alum, appealed to the Cardinals as a hybrid weapon on defense. With defensive back speed and linebacker size, Arizona felt that Simmons could be a pre-snap surprise for opposing offenses. Instead, he turned out to be a tweener without a regular position to ascend into for the Cardinals. Simmons lasted just three years in Arizona before being traded to the New York Giants, where he became a sub-package role player.
2019: T.J. Hockenson, TE, Detroit Lions
Hockenson’s NFL journey has been a mixed bag so far. He played well for the Lions — even making a Pro Bowl in his second season — before being shipped to an NFC North rival, the Minnesota Vikings, midway through his fourth season. Hockenson essentially missed the entire Lions turnaround run and was replaced (and then some) by Sam LaPorta, who has outperformed Hockenson’s production in Detroit. Hockenson, though, has still been a regular playmaker for Minnesota. Hockenson has earned two Pro Bowls, and despite his early exit with the Lions, was clearly worth the pick.
2018: Roquan Smith, LB, Chicago Bears
Smith is the best defensive player on this list. In his first four seasons, Smith earned two second-team All-Pro honors. He was traded in the final year of his rookie contract to the Baltimore Ravens in a blockbuster trade deadline deal in 2022, and he was eventually named to his first Pro Bowl while also getting a first-team All-Pro nod. Smith has continued to be a force for Baltimore, as he has earned Pro Bowl and first-team All-Pro honors in each of his two full seasons with the squad.
2017: Christian McCaffrey, RB, Carolina Panthers
McCaffrey was a gem of a selection for the Panthers in 2017. The do-everything playmaker carried the Carolina offense in the post-Cam Newton era, and he earned accolades that put the Panthers in the national headlines. McCaffrey was traded to the San Francisco 49ers in 2022 as the organization started a much-needed (but misguided) rebuild. McCaffrey would go on to win the NFL Offensive Player of the Year award in 2023. Despite that success, he still hasn’t fully shaken the injury bug that he dealt with in Carolina, as he missed 13 games in 2024 due to a lingering Achilles injury.
2016: Jack Conklin, OT, Tennessee Titans
Conklin has earned a reputation of being a strong and steady blocker during his nine-year career. He played out his rookie contract with the Titans before joining the Cleveland Browns in 2020. Conklin has been named a first-team All-Pro with both of his NFL squads, and he hasn’t really slowed down over the years. He’s among the best right tackles in the entire league.
2015: Vic Beasley, OLB, Atlanta Falcons
Beasley is the only member of this countdown who is no longer actively playing in the NFL. Like Simmons, a fellow Clemson alum, Beasley was a bit of a tweener at the top level. While he flashed some major appeal as a pass rusher — 15.5 sacks in a Pro Bowl season in 2016 — he never really found his footing as a perennial threat to opposing offenses. In six seasons with the Falcons, Titans and Las Vegas Raiders, Beasley produced 37.5 sacks. That number is pretty good, but he still flamed out of the league after leaving Atlanta in 2020. He has played in spring leagues in each of the past two years.
