One good draft can change a franchise’s trajectory, and for the Carolina Panthers, the mission is clear: continue to build a stronghold around quarterback Bryce Young. Now, with the 19th pick in the upcoming 2026 NFL Draft, they have a chance to double down and build a truly dynamic offense around their young QB.

Round 1, Pick 19: TE Kenyon Sadiq

Last offseason, the Carolina Panthers drafted Tet McMillan in the first round, and look what it did for Bryce Young. He had a career year, throwing for 3,011 yards and 23 touchdowns while leading Carolina to their first playoff berth with him under center. And once they got to the playoffs, they took the eventual NFC runner-ups to the wire in the Wild Card round.

That’s exactly why I’m drafting Kenyon Sadiq here. The Oregon product is 6-foot-3, 241 pounds and runs a 4.39-second 40-yard dash with a 43.5-inch vertical and an 11-foot, 1-inch broad jump. Oh, and he can also bench 225 pounds 26 times. He’s a tight end, but he’s really more of a receiver who can block.

Adding Sadiq into this offense would make them even more dynamic, and if I’m Carolina, I want to see what Bryce Young can really do before I give him a big extension.

Round 2, Pick 51: S A.J. Haulcy

A.J. Haulcy is one of my favorite safeties in this draft class, and no, it’s not because I went to LSU. He’s such a versatile player on the backend. He is fantastic in coverage and has terrific instincts, which have enabled him to pick off 10 passes during his career, including eight in the last two seasons. But he’s also not afraid to come down into the box and get dirty in the run game.

The Panthers have a big need at safety. Tre’Von Moehrig and Nick Scott are okay, but they’ve invested too much into their defense this offseason to let teams beat them over the top. By putting Haulcy back there, they can eliminate big plays while also getting a safety who can help them out in the run game.

Round 3, Pick 83: WR Skyler Bell

I really like Tet McMillan and Jalen Coker, but it would be crazy to say that Carolina doesn’t need some more receiver help. McMillan is a true WR1 that can dominate, and Coker is a good complement, but if the Panthers can find a really solid third option to go along with Kenyon Sadiq at tight end, this offense will be pretty scary.

Skyler Bell seems to be everyone’s favorite third-round pick, but it’s for good reason. He’s coming off a 1,200-yard, 13-touchdown season and ran a 4.44-second 40-yard dash with a 41-inch vertical and an 11-foot, 1-inch broad jump at the combine. He’s an athletic freak, and he has the production to match.

Imagine a receiving corps that consists of Tet McMillan, Kenyon Sadiq, Skyler Bell and Jalen Coker. There would be no more excuses for Bryce Young. He’d have to prove he can be the guy in Carolina.

Round 4, Pick 119: OT Drew Shelton

The Panthers have an interesting situation at tackle. Ikem Ekwonu has looked good, but he ruptured his patella tendon in the playoffs and could miss significant time. They did bring in Rasheed Walker, but he’s on a one-year deal, and their right tackle, Taylor Morton, is 31 years old. The moral of the story is that they need offensive tackle help.

In round four, Drew Shelton is probably the best tackle left. He’s 6-foot-5, 306 pounds, and gave up one sack and 18 pressures in 356 pass blocking snaps. He’s not a great run blocker by any stretch of the imagination, but he can provide some depth at tackle, and if he has to come in, he should be able to protect Bryce Young pretty well.

Round 5, Pick 158: DT Zane Durant

Carolina has filled out their edge rusher, linebacker, and defensive back rooms with their free agent signings, and at the beginning of this mock draft, but they still need help at defensive tackle, which is why I’m using this pick on Zane Durant.

Durant is a great player who has 43 pressures and seven sacks in the last two seasons, but he’s very undersized for a defensive tackle at 6-foot-1, 290 pounds. He has an incredible motor and plays much bigger than his size, but there are some concerns about how he’ll fare against NFL offensive linemen. Still, I’d take a shot on him in round five if I were Carolina.

Round 5, Pick 159: DE Max Llewellyn

The Panthers spent big on Jaelan Phillips and drafted Nic Scourton last season, but they could use some more depth at edge rusher. Max Llewellyn has been a very productive edge rusher for Iowa the past two seasons, totaling 74 pressures and 12 sacks in 2024 and 2025, and tested fairly well at the NFL Combine.

Llewellyn will never be an every-down edge rusher, but in round five, you’re not typically looking for starters. You’re looking for guys to fill out your roster, and Llewellyn can certainly provide them with quality depth off the edge.

Round 6, Pick 200: RB Eli Heidenreich

Eli Heidenreich is going to be a really fun tool for an offense. He’s coming off a near-1,000-yard season at Navy, but not as a running back, but as a receiver. However, Heidenreich is making the transition to running back, so while he’ll never be a three-down runner, he can enter an offense that needs a receiving threat out of the backfield and cause some problems for a defense. He would add yet another dimension to Carolina’s passing attack.