Carolina Panthers final 2025 NFL Draft class shows a much improved foundation on defense and landed QB Bryce Young new weapons

The Carolina Panthers had to address their entire defense and hopefully add some weapons heading into the 2025 NFL Draft and they did exactly that. Let's dive into each selection made by Carolina Panthers general manager Dan Morgan and company.

Round 1, pick 8: Tetairoa McMillan, WR Arizona

Most draft analysts believed that the Panthers would be going with defense in round one, but chose to build around Bryce Young on offense, finally giving him a legitimate WR1 to throw the ball to that boasts a complete game. McMillan brings size, elite efficiency and production metrics, YAC ability, and should lead the team in targets as a rookie given the opportunity and special talent level. He will definitely become Bryce young's best friend right away.

Round 2, pick 51: Nic Scourton, EDGE Texas A&M

Nic Scourton was a monster at Purdue back in 2023 where he racked up over 40 pass rush pressures and eight sacks. He unfortunately added a bit too much weight in the offseason prior to his final season with Texas A&M and that took away about of his twitch and flexibility, so he slid a bit further in the draft than he probably should have. He's trimmed back down, proving that at the NFL Combine, and should be the team's most explosive powerful edge rusher from day one.

Round 3, pick 77: Princely Umanmielen, EDGE Ole Miss

The Carolina Panthers double dipped at edge defender in back to back rounds recognizing that the position was the team's biggest need. Princely Umanmielen should not have fallen this far in the draft, but some alleged "character concerns" may have contributed to that. The Panthers didn't seem to mind since Umanmielen posted the third highest pass rush pressure rate of any edge defender in the 2025 NFL Draft class.

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Round 4, pick 114: Trevor Etienne, RB Georgia

The Panthers already had a decent stable of running backs, but none of them have ever been particularly good in the receiving game. Trevor Etienne specializes in making defenders miss in space (as you can see in my post below from the Senior Bowl) and he's a strong pass protector for a college running back. There's a chance he earns the passing down back role for the Panthers before the end of his rookie season.

Round 4, pick 122: Lathan Ransom, S Ohio State

Lathan Ransom tallied nearly 2,500 snaps for the Ohio State Buckeyes and wrapped up his career by winning a national championship this past season. He's a rangy safety that played a ton of different roles in college. Early on he was more of a slot specialist. His third and fourth seasons he was more of a strong safety who could shift deep when called upon. Then last year he moved completely to deep safety. Anything that the Panthers need him to do in the defensive secondary he can do.

Round 5, pick 140: Cam Jackson, DT Florida

Cam Jackson's specialty is run defense and that's exactly what the Panthers need along the interior of their defensive line. Jackson is a forceful player that can two-gap when necessary and shift between the A and B gaps depending on the scheme and package with ease. Jackson missed less than 6% of his tackles last season, despite quite often fighting through multiple offensive linemen.

Round 5, pick 163: Mitchell Evans, TE Notre Dame

Mitchell Evans offers old school 6'6", 260-pound tight end size with strong pass blocking ability, but he's savvy enough with his leverage and route running to play in the slot for the majority of his snaps too if the Panthers want him to play like he did last year for Notre Dame. He isn't the best athlete, which is why he fell to round five, but Evans offers one of the more balanced skill sets in the 2025 NFL Draft class.

Round 6, pick 208: Jimmy Horn Jr., WR Colorado

Jimmy Horn Jr. featured as a consistent possession receiver for both USF and Colorado who could explode for the big play every once in a while, but he was never the focal point of a college offense. Horn projects to be a depth wide receiver talent with plus special teams talent and value. He returned nearly 50 punts and kickoffs throughout his career, so he'll likely immediately compete for those roles.