Here are the Carolina Panthers’ opponents for 2026, projected NFL Draft position
The Carolina Panthers are laser-focused this week on the Los Angeles Rams — the team they’ll host in Bank of America Stadium on Saturday in what will be the first playoff game in Charlotte since 2015.
But for those who really like to look ahead, the NFL has you covered.
The conclusion of the regular season means that the Panthers now know the opponents they’ll play next year, and whether they’ll play those opponents at home or on the road. The franchise also has a good idea of where it will pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, though that won’t be officially set in stone until after Carolina’s season concludes.
Your post-regular-season housekeeping is below.
Carolina Panthers opponents in 2026
Divisional opponents are demarcated with an asterisk. The full schedule with dates and kickoff times is typically released by the league in May.
Home (9): Atlanta Falcons*, Tampa Bay Buccaneers*, New Orleans Saints*, Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions, Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals, Seattle Seahawks, Denver Broncos.
Away (8): Atlanta Falcons*, Tampa Bay Buccaneers*, New Orleans Saints*, Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings, Pittsburgh Steelers, Philadelphia Eagles, Cleveland Browns.
Takeaways: This is a gauntlet. No other way to put it. Some of it is the Panthers’ doing. Carolina was slated to play teams of equal divisional standing in the NFC West, the AFC West and NFC East — and the Panthers winning their own division this year means that they’re playing the Seahawks, Broncos and Eagles.
Part of this brutal schedule, though, is just the luck of the draw. The NFL slated the Panthers to play the entire NFC North — widely considered the best division in the NFL. Carolina will also travel to Pittsburgh, considered one of the toughest places to play in the league.
For reference, according to Team Rankings, the Panthers had the 23rd hardest schedule in the 2025 regular season. That will change in 2026.
What are the Carolina Panthers draft picks in 2026?
The 2026 NFL Draft order hasn’t yet been finalized for teams in the playoffs. But the league, in a memorandum sent out Monday, offered a clear picture of what will likely happen ahead of selections in April.
The short of it: The Panthers will select 19th if they lose to the Rams in their playoff game Saturday. If Carolina advances to the second round and loses, the franchise picks 25th.
From there, if the Panthers move on to the conference championship game and lose, they’ll pick 29th. If they make it all the way to the Super Bowl and lose, they’ll pick 31st. And if they win the Super Bowl, they’ll pick 32nd.
Here’s a look at the Panthers’ full list of draft picks in 2026, courtesy of the many deals struck by general manager Dan Morgan last year. They don’t have a seventh-round pick in 2026 and have an additional fifth-round pick as a result of the trade of Adam Thielen in the preseason.
The picks:
- First round: Panthers draft order
- Second round: Panthers draft order
- Third round: Panthers draft order
- Fourth round: Panthers draft order
- Fifth round: Vikings draft order (18th each round)
- Fifth round: Panthers draft order
- Sixth round: Panthers draft order
Editor’s note: A previous version of this article didn’t list the Cleveland Browns as an opponent the Panthers will face on the road in 2026. That’s since been rectified. We are sorry for the oversight.
This story was originally published January 6, 2026 at 6:00 AM.
