You can make a strong case for other defenders and other positions, but if the Carolina Panthers pick anybody but Jalon Walker at 8th overall it will come as a surprise. If it's not Walker, it could be his Georgia Bulldogs teammate, Mykel Williams - or maybe a wild-card edge like Mike Green from Marshall.
The Panthers might also decide to trade down from that spot, which could put a whole new slew of prospects in their range with their first pick. If that happens on name to keep an eye on is Ole Miss wide receiver Tre Harris. Bleacher Report has linked him to Carolina as his best possible fit in fantasy football.
"At 6'2" and 205 pounds, Harris is another receiver who's tailor-made for playing the boundary in the NFL. He's a sure-handed pass catcher capable of racking up yards after the catch, although injuries were an issue for him in college. But if healthy, Harris could emerge as the No. 1 wide receiver for the Panthers in relatively short order."
This is true, but aside from Adam Thielen (who's on the verge of retiring) he won't get a whole lot of competition for that WR1 role from the receivers currently on Carolina's roster.
The Panthers have to hope that Xavier Legette will take a huge step forward in 2025 - because if he doesn't he'll be well on his way to earning a huge first-round bust label, one of too many for this franchise in recent years. Jalen Coker might actually be the second-best receiver on the team right now - but he's still mostly unproven.
That means there's plenty of room for a guy like Harris to come in and rise fast. Harris was pretty productive at the college level, totaling 220 catches, 29 touchdowns and over 3,500 yards between three years at Louisiana Tech and two seasons at Ole Miss.
Carolina fans may be leery of Harris based on what happened with the last Mississippi wide receiver they drafted. 2023 second-round selection Jonathan Mingo is now with the Dallas Cowboys and has played 32 games at this level and still has zero touchdowns.
That wouldn't be fair to Harris, who's a different type of receiver, despite having a similar build. Harris has earned high marks for his work in the intermediate and deep part of the fields and seems to have a strong clutch gene.
For now, Harris is projected to be a late second-round pick.
