Now that teams have patched up some holes in free agency, we revisit some projected picks for the Panthers at #8 overall.
A lot of teams have done their best to patch their most glaring holes in free agency. Everyone always talks about picking the best player available, but holes on a roster inevitably affect which players a team is compelled to pick. The Carolina Panthers added some depth to their defensive front and splurged on a safety, so their most pressing issues have at least gotten some attention. So let’s see where that directs some analysts as they predict what the Panthers will do with the eighth pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
NFL.com (Daniel Jeremiah): Mason Graham, DL, Michigan
Graham has ebbed and flowed in mock drafts in recent weeks. Jeremiah references the Panthers’s failed pursuit of Milton Williams to illustrate how badly the Panthers want to bolster their front line. Graham would form a dominant combination with Derrick Brown on the interior.
NFL.com (Mike Band): Jalon Walker, LB/Edge, Georgia
Band calls Walker a perfect fit for Evero’s 3-4 defense. A successful Walker looks a lot like the best version of what the Panthers had in Franke Luvu—a guy that can play both as an inside linebacker and a pass rusher. Plus he’s a local kid.
ESPN (Mel Kiper): Jalon Walker, LB/Edge, Georgia
Kiper also likes Walker for the Panthers as a means to improve upon their league-worst defense.
The Athletic: Mykel Williams, Edge, Georgia
Williams is a potential over production pick. He has all of the physical tools to be a productive pass rusher and shows the foundational skills of a player that can be very good. He just needs some refinement. It’d be a risky pick, but it could pay major dividends if it works out.
Yahoo Sports: Shemar Stewart, Edge, Texas A&M
Stewart is a more extreme case of Williams’ potential over production conundrum. He certainly looks the part of an impactful pass rusher, but he totaled all of 4.5 sacks in his entire three year college career at A&M. This whole mock is weird, but you never know what’ll happen on draft day.
FOX Sports: Shemar Stewart, Edge, Texas A&M
Another mock having the Panthers take Stewart over Mykel Williams and Jalon Walker.
CBS Sports: Jalon Walker, LB/Edge, Georgia
I’m sensing a theme here. Another vote for Jalon Walker as all of these writers try to figure out the best way to address the Panthers woeful defense from last season.
NBC Sports: Tetairoa McMillan, WR, Arizona
Now we break the trend. The Panthers just used a first round pick on Xavier Legette last year, but he was far from impressive in his rookie season. The Panthers could be justified in surrounding their undersized quarterback with a young, oversized receiving corps that could grow together for the foreseeable future. Legette, McMillan, and Jalen Coker provide an interesting blend of size and versatility at the position.
The Draft Network: Jalon Walker, LB/Edge, Georgia
I don’t know if the consistency of Walker being mocked to the Panthers makes it feel more or less likely that he actually ends up here.
Tankathon: Tetairoa McMillan, WR, Arizona
Another vote for a wide receiver. It doesn’t feel like it helps the team as much as a defensive pick, but it’s always fun to have new skill position players to root for.