Which picks from the Panthers’ 2026 NFL Draft class could make an instant impact?
The 2026 NFL Draft has come and gone, and the Carolina Panthers have added a collection of young talent to the fold.
With seven draft picks on the roster, fans are understandably curious about those new players’ roles this season and beyond. They’re also interested in what the new arrivals mean for some of the incumbent talent on the depth chart.
The Charlotte Observer has opened up the post-draft mailbag to answer questions from social media:
Panthers mailbag: Roles for the rookies?
Aaron C on X asks: In your opinion who (from the draft class) has a real legitimate shot at being a key contributor right away?
Adam on Bluesky asks: Using your crystal ball, how many (viable) potential starters do you see from this draft?
Let’s combine these two questions for one answer.
Regarding legitimate role players, it’s probably a safe bet to jot down the first five players in the class. While fifth-round pick, safety Zakee Wheatley, has been billed as a steal by the draft analyst community, he’s more than likely going to take a backseat to Tre’von Moehrig, Nick Scott and Lathan Ransom, at least initially. There might be some perceived redundancies in his game compared to Moehrig and Ransom, and Scott is still probably the best fit to play the post spot at this time. Wheatley could be a breakout player on special teams though, even with former first-round pick Isaiah Simmons sticking around.
As far as immediate starters go, three prospects stick out with a fourth likely to be a key rotational piece.
First-round pick Monroe Freeling, third-round pick Chris Brazzell and fifth-round pick Sam Hecht should all have clear gateways to starting jobs in the form of immediate competition. Second-round pick Lee Hunter should be a notable rotational cog on the defensive line, even with veterans Derrick Brown, Bobby Brown and Turk Wharton likely ahead of him in the pecking order. It should be noted that the Panthers don’t use the term “starters” internally with the defensive line, so the starting three on a given week could change based opponent or circumstance.
Fourth-round pick Will Lee is likely to be the first outside cornerback off the bench if he can adapt to consistently playing in zone coverage. Jaycee Horn and Mike Jackson are the clear Week 1 starters, barring injury, so it’d be tough to crack that lineup as a rookie. Seventh-round pick Jackson Kuwatch feels more like Claudin Cherelus and Bam Martin-Scott competition than a Trevin Wallace threat.
The future of the offensive line
Josh D on X asks: How would you handle our OT situation with Ickey Ekwonu and Taylor Moton now that Freeling has been drafted? Would you move on from Ickey or move on from Moton? Obviously, health is a factor right now but if Ickey returns to full strength.
Freeling should compete with free-agent addition, Rasheed Walker, at left tackle immediately. And the 19th overall pick should be given every opportunity to win that job, especially with Walker set to make $4 million in 2026.
If Freeling needs time to develop, that’s not necessarily a terrible outcome, because he’s certainly an upgrade as a short-term swing tackle. However, the Panthers should want to get the top pick on the field within the first half of the season to get an immediate return on investment and further his development. If Freeling earns the starting left tackle job outright, it might open up a gateway to potentially trade Walker for a 2027 draft pick.
With Ekwonu recovering from patellar surgery, the Panthers shouldn’t be in a rush to bring him back. Even if he’s capable of returning during the second half of the campaign, he almost assuredly won’t return to top form in the final weeks of the season. So, with Freeling and Walker in the mix, and journeyman Stone Forsythe as a backup plan, the Panthers don’t need to force the issue the way they did with running back Jonathon Brooks in 2024.
From there, the Panthers have plenty of options. If Ekwonu misses the entire season or plays ineffectively in his return, he will likely need to settle for a one-year deal next offseason. If that hypothetical short-term pact is palatable to the Panthers, they could always re-sign him, move Freeling to right tackle, and open up around $14.6 million by releasing Moton in the final year of his deal next offseason. If Ekwonu decides to look for something more long-term, the Panthers can just stick with Freeling on the left side and Moton on the right in 2027 with little worry.
Freeling gives the Panthers a lot of options, both this summer and next offseason. They’ll more than likely watch things play out — with open minds — this season before exploring different avenues.
The wide receiver depth chart
Brian M. on X asks: Where do Xavier Legette, Jimmy Horn Jr. and Brycen Tremayne fall on depth chart?
The Panthers have different tiers to their wide receiver depth chart.
Tetairoa McMillan and Jalen Coker are immediate starters in two-receiver sets. From there, it feels like Legette — a 2024 first-round pick — and Brazzell — the 83rd overall pick this year’s draft — will be competing, potentially alongside John Metchie, for the third starting job in base personnel packages.
For the losers of the No. 3 receiver battle, another competition for depth spots awaits.
If Brazzell wins the No. 3 gig, look for Legette to compete for the punt and kick returner jobs with running back Trevor Etienne and others. If Legette doesn’t win a return gig, things will get dicey, and he might be forced to compete with Metchie, Horn and Tremayne for two or three openings. Tremayne feels like a safe bet to make the roster based on his special teams work alone, but with Feleipe Franks returning to the fold, he might not be a sure thing. Horn needs to show extensive gadget ability to stick to the game-day roster, especially if Legette stays put.
But, as with the past three offseasons, it’s hard to forget about the presence of coaching-staff favorite David Moore as well.
Competition, competition and more competition
@PanthersFan_inAfrica on X asks: What position do you expect to have the most intense competition for roster spots, where hard cuts may need to be made?
Since the wide receiver logjam and the left tackle situation were addressed above, let’s go with the starting center competition. The three-man battle will feature Hecht, Luke Fortner and Nick Samac.
Fortner is the experienced veteran who has had an up-and-down NFL career. Samac is a holdover who is well-liked by the staff and front office. And Hecht, a fifth-round pick, might have been the biggest steal of the Panthers’ draft class.
On paper, Fortner would be the logical first choice, but Hecht fits the blocking scheme well, and he lacks the guard versatility to be an optimal backup interior lineman. Samac is similarly projected as a center-only lineman. So, because Fortner can play center and guard, he might have more value as being the David Moore-like teammate tutor for Hecht or even Samac.
The Panthers should give Hecht — like Freeling — every chance to win a starting job as a rookie. But will the Panthers want to put two rookies on the starting line when quarterback Bryce Young needs to fully cement himself as a franchise cornerstone this season? That remains to be seen.
Still, that competition will be around the top of the list to watch for this beat writer.
Tight ends in Carolina’s future?
Samuel S on X asks: Simple, Njoku?
James on X asks: Can we get a TE1 in the building?
It was surprising to see the Panthers pass on tight ends throughout draft weekend.
The Charlotte Observer spoke with quite of few folks around the league who linked Carolina to tight ends before the selection process. According to those sources, the Panthers did a lot of research on the position heading into draft weekend.
The lack of a selection was probably two-fold. The board likely fell in a way where the value wasn’t there in picking the position, and the team likely felt that at a certain point there wasn’t an upgrade left on the board.
General manager Dan Morgan and head coach Dave Canales have frequently stated their belief in the current group, which is led by Tommy Tremble and Ja’Tavion Sanders. Tremble and Mitchell Evans are valued for their ability to take on all the tasks of a tight end, while Sanders is seen as a playmaker at the position when healthy. The team also re-signed James Mitchell and brought back Franks, a converted QB, in March.
With all that said, it appears the Panthers aren’t in a rush to add a traditional top tight end. With the addition of Brazzell, the Panthers are likely to lean heavily on 11 personnel (3 WRs, 1 TE and 1 RB) under offensive coordinator Brad Idzik. Brazzell is a field-stretcher, so he could, in theory, open up plays underneath for the slot receiver (Coker and/or Metchie) and the tight ends in the passing game.
Regarding former Cleveland Browns tight end David Njoku, the read here is that he isn’t an immediate option for Carolina. The 2023 Pro Bowl playmaker will turn 30 in July, which goes against the apparent youth movement on the roster. He will also probably cost a decent amount on a one-year deal, which might not be feasible after the Panthers’ free-agent spending spree. The team will already need to restructure a deal or two to sign the rookie class outright.
The rest of the group in free agency is either older or worse off than Njoku. This feels like another Justin Simmons situation, where the fan base and national media will link Njoku (or another veteran tight end) to the Panthers, but the front office will stick with the incumbent group.
