Panthers Mock Draft Monday 1.0 - Draft Staff Picks
Which players are our draft staff taking for Carolina?
We are thick in the weeds of draft season. The scouting combine is in the rearview mirror, pro days are wrapping up, and by the time a lot of people read this, we will officially be in the month of this year’s NFL Draft.
Since Day One of the NFL Draft is only a few weeks away (4.23), it’s time for the first installment of SportCLT’s Panthers Mock Draft Mondays.
Today’s mock comes from some of the group that put together our draft guide: Dylan Jackson and Jacob Lequire. Some quick rules before we get into it:
Because there are two of us, this mock draft will only be three rounds
Each of us must select a reasonable player for each pick - as much as we might want Sonny Styles at 19, he probably won’t be there
No trades, it’s too far out to try and predict the intricacies of draft pick trades
With that settled, it’s time to see who each of us thinks the Panthers might take in Rounds 1-3.
Round 1 - Pick 19
Dylan - Avieon Terrell, DB, Clemson
The Panthers were rumored to be exploring the nickel corner market during free agency, and it’s a significant area of need. Terrell is arguably the best defensive back in the back end of the entire draft and fits well into the Panthers’ defensive scheme.
Jacob - Blake Miller, OT, Clemson
While this may be a bit of a redundancy, the Dan Morgan regime hasn’t drafted a single OL to date. The potential Week 1 starters are in place, but at an enormous cost (Carolina has the most expensive offensive line, according to OverTheCap). Adding a rookie who has the potential to play both tackle spots and could take over for Taylor Moton in the future is a good pick for talent and financial reasons.
Round 2 - Pick 51
Dylan - Caleb Tiernan, OT, Northwestern
It’s hard to find players as big as Caleb Tiernan who move as well as him. The addition of Rasheed Walker makes it to where the Panthers don’t have to invest a first-round pick at tackle, but they should still plan on using one of their first three selections at the position. Tiernan provides immediate competition to Walker as a potential starting left tackle in 2025, with a long-term goal of replacing Taylor Moton at RT.
Jacob - Oscar Delp, TE, Georgia
Draft fans are catching on to Delp as a prospect due to his recent success at Georgia’s pro day, but SEC fans have known how good he is all along. Delp is a legitimate receiving threat who can create after the catch. He is a plus blocker as well, giving the Panthers a perfect 12 personnel player (Carolina was 17th in 12 personnel rate in 2025 per FTN). This pick might seem a bit rich, but I’d be willing to bet Delp goes much higher than the consensus board has him right now.
Round 3 - Pick 83
Dylan - Bryce Lance, WR, North Dakota State
Bryce Lance is one of my favorite fits for the Panthers in this year’s draft. There will be questions about competition level, but the Panthers love these bigger receivers, and Lance has outstanding speed and field-stretching capabilities. That skill set is exactly the one missing from the Panthers’ current WR room.
Jacob - LT Overton, EDGE/DL, Alabama
Overton’s player profile might say “edge,” but don’t be fooled, the 278+ lbs lineman has the size and strength to play inside. The former 5-star has spent the last two years aligning at multiple spots for the Crimson Tide, and while the production stats might not be the best, Overton has the chops to make life easier for his teammates. Overton could play the edge on run downs and move inside to give Carolina’s OLBs favorable matchups on passing downs.
The Hauls
Dylan - Avieon Terrell (DB, Clemson), Caleb Tiernan (OT, Northwestern), Bryce Lance (WR, NDSU)
Jacob - Blake Miller (OL, Clemson), Oscar Delp (TE, Georgia), LT Overton (EDGE/DL, Alabama)
Both of us were keen on addressing the offensive line early in this class. Despite the signings of Rasheed Walker and Luke Fortner, the Panthers really need to look at obtaining rookie contract offensive linemen.
We also both selected weapons for Bryce Young within the Top 100 picks. While Carolina has added their fair share over the last two years, more explosive potential is still necessary for the team.
Throughout April, SportCLT will have mock drafts coming down the wire - this is just the first installment. Stay tuned to see how the rest of our staff sees Carolina attacking the draft.
For a more in-depth look at some of the potential prospects that the Panthers might add, check out our Draft Guide! Included are a 100 Player Big Board, Draft Night Bingo Cards, a gacha game for our Player Cards, and more.