Playing complementary football is one of the most significant keys to victory for every NFL team every week. You want your offense to keep the defense fresh, and your defense to give the offense more opportunities to move the ball.
Spending and resource allocation are a big part of building balanced teams. If a team only spends money on defense, the offense will likely suffer.
Carolina has taken a bit of a unique approach in regards to balancing offense and defense during Dan Morgan’s tenure as General Manager. Every single first-round draft selection has been on the offensive side of the ball.
Of course, the Panthers have supplemented the offense-only first-round picks with defensive selections on Day 2 of the draft, as well as significant free agent spending, but the team has largely honed the offense early in the draft.
I don’t believe what the Panthers are doing is necessarily wrong - in fact, I think investing heavily in offensive players with the team’s first-round picks has helped Bryce Young improve.
If the Panthers are to continue this trend in the 2027 NFL Draft, fans should get to know some of the skill players and offensive linemen available in the first round.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at one player from each position Carolina could target, assuming quarterback isn’t on the radar.
Ryan Coleman-Williams, WR, Alabama
As I mentioned in last week’s Early Top 10 article, RCW is one of the most explosive receivers in college football. The way he is able to move with the ball in his hands is truly special, and something the Panthers really haven’t ever had.
Averaging 18 yards per reception and logging four TDs over the last four contests, Coleman-Williams is simply electric. Despite having a more slender frame, RCW possesses high-level contact balance, brushing off defenders that don’t form tackle.
At and after the catch point, RCW has some of the best body control I’ve ever seen. It’s like he can contort his frame into any shape necessary to make tough catches, or avoid would-be tacklers as he gains yards after the catch.
Where RCW excels is in hauling in deep passes. RCW boasts pretty good speed in his route-running, and can pull away from defenders with his long speed as well.
Considering the already substantial investment in the receiver position, I’m not sure Carolina would be willing to select another receiver in the first round.
If the team does end up targeting receivers again early, RCW would be the perfect complement to McMillan and Coker, and Bryce Young’s ability to hit the kill shot with the deep ball.
Jamari Johnson, TE, Oregon
For the fans upset at missing out on Kenyon Sadiq in the 2026 NFL Draft, his understudy might be available for the Panthers in this upcoming class.
After spending his first two seasons at Louisville, Johnson transferred to Oregon, mainly playing second fiddle to Sadiq to start the season. However, despite the hype Sadiq was getting, Johnson quietly outplayed the No. 16 overall pick down the stretch.
To begin the 2026 season, Johnson has been in and out of the lineup with injuries, but when he’s been available, the talented tight end has picked up where he left off last season.
In the two fully healthy contests, Johnson has posted lines of 4 receptions, 57 yards, and 1 score, and 7-119-0 against USC. Despite up-and-down play from two quarterbacks, Johnson has produced when targeted.
The addition of Darren Waller has shown how impactful a reliable tight end can be for Bryce Young and the rest of the Panthers offense. Waller has certainly been more impressive through four weeks than I had imagined, but he is still closer to 40 than 25.
Johnson could be the intermediate seam-breaker that makes life easier for Young, McMillan, Coker, and the run game. If Johnson proves to be consistently healthy and improves as a blocker, it would be hard to deny him a spot as an impactful starter, should he be added to the team in April.
Jadan Baugh, RB, Florida
I’m not going to stop hitting the Jadan Baugh drum.
Despite the downtick in production in Florida’s last two games (both with more negative game scripts), Baugh is still averaging over 6 yards per carry, has amassed 12 rushing touchdowns, and has hauled in seven receptions.
The struggles in Baugh’s numbers have a lot more to do with the failure in the pass game, in my opinion. Unlike in early weeks, Florida has not been able to lean on the run with their offensive line being gashed.
Still, Baugh is a very impressive running back prospect and would be welcome in the Panthers backfield.
Baugh lacks the high-end speed that would pair well with a player like Chuba Hubbard, but where he thrives is in breaking tackles and tough contact. Baugh would almost be a long-term Hubbard replacement as someone who is much stronger/better at breaking contact.
In the short-term, Baugh could rotate in and help with short-yardage situations while he continues to grow.
If a speedy, shifty back is the Panthers priority, Louisville’s Isaac Brown could be a target later in the draft. But if the team wants to use a first-round pick on a difference-maker at the running back position, Baugh is still the way to go.
Greg Johnson, iOL, Minnesota
Skill position players are fun, sure. But a strong offensive line helps get both the run and pass games going on offense. Carolina should know, as they used their most recent pick on offensive tackle Monroe Freeling.
Draft capital aside, Carolina entered the season with the most expensive offensive line in the entire football league. Two-fifths of the starters began the season on injured lists, but the remaining players still cost a lot of money.
Ironically, Carolina’s offensive line has also allowed the highest pressure rate in the NFL; Bryce Young is the second-most pressured QB in the entire league (and has played one less game than everyone else), and has struggled to give proficient run blocking for Chuba Hubbard.
Unfortunately, the interior of the offensive line has been a major issue. The majority of the spending on the Panthers line has gone to the interior, particularly to right guard Rob Hunt, who has had a start to the season to forget.
That’s where Greg Johnson comes in. Currently playing left guard, Johnson tracks to be able to work at all three interior positions in the NFL. Luckily for Carolina, center is a position that needs replacement as well, though the Panthers did draft a developmental player at that spot in Sam Hecht.
A good mover and stout player with a strong anchor, Johnson could be a revelation filling in for Rob Hunt (or at center) in 2027.
The future of almost every spot on the Panthers offensive line should be up for grabs. Damien Lewis, to me, is the only player that has solidified his spot as the long-term starter.
Player of the Week
I try to stick to draft-eligible players for this segment of the column, but what true freshman (!) receiver Jesse Legree has been doing this season is impossible to ignore.
This past week against now No. 10 ranked Texas Tech, Legree put up a line of 8-240-2, with a tackle as well on an interception. That’s thirty (30) yards per reception against one of the more expensive rosters in all of college football.
Legree’s season stats are just as bonkers.
We’ve talked about how historic of a season Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith has been producing so far, rightfully so.
Jesse Legree’s numbers are HIGHER.
Sure, Oregon State hasn’t faced the level of competition that the Buckeyes have so far, but Legree also doesn’t have the help around him that Smith does.
Should Legree maintain even a relatively close pace, he will be someone this column discusses at length in a few years.
Last week gave college football fans many fun ranked matchups and upsets, including No. 1 Texas falling to Oklahoma at the Red River Showdown.
However, Week 7, October 17, has been long-touted as THE week to watch college football this season. Some of the marquee matchups are as follows:
Florida vs. (7) Texas
Virginia vs. (24) SMU
(16) Mississippi State vs. (22) LSU
(18) Oklahoma State vs. (20) Houston
Auburn vs. (1) Georgia
(11) Utah vs. Colorado
(21) Wake Forest vs. Cal
These are fun, but here are the money-makers this week:
(6) Alabama vs. (14) Tennessee
(13) Missouri vs. (9) Mississippi
(4) Ohio State vs. (5) Indiana
(2) Notre Dame vs. (8) BYU
If you have time to watch, there are some can’t-miss matchups. Should history follow, Dan Morgan and his staff will certainly be looking to add the next great offensive player in these games.
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