After missing out on their 2024 first-round pick, the Carolina Panthers are back in the top 10 of the 2025 NFL Draft. However, despite holding onto the No. 8 pick, the Panthers are viewed as one of the top teams most likely to trade back in the draft.
If the Panthers trade back, they would likely do so to acquire more defensive line and wide receiver assets, according to ESPN’s Matt Miller. Carolina is already on par with the rest of the league with nine picks in the draft, but six of them will be on Day Three. If a trade occurs, Miller sees the team acquiring more Day Two selections.
“Two teams that continue to come up as trade-back candidates are the Carolina Panthers (No. 8) and Minnesota Vikings (No. 24),” Miller wrote. “The Panthers have nine total selections but could be tempted to trade back for more Day 2 picks, which they would use on the defensive line and at wide receiver. And Minnesota has the fewest picks this year with four, so it could be looking for more draft capital.”
If they do not trade their draft pick, the Panthers are one of the top candidates to take one of Georgia’s two edge rushers in the class. Both Jalon Walker and Mykel Williams are projected to go in or near the top 10, with Carolina being a likely landing spot for either one of them.
Panthers prepare to build around Bryce Young in 2025 NFL Draft
Despite going just 5-12 and missing the playoffs for the seventh consecutive season, the Panthers are one of the rebuilding teams to watch in 2025. The team’s 4-5 end to the 2024 season instilled a new level of confidence in Bryce Young, who the team firmly plans to build around moving forward.
After signing Tershawn Wharton, Bobby Brown III, Tre’von Moehrig and extending Jaycee Horn in free agency, the Panthers are prepared to take an offensive focus in the 2025 NFL Draft. While edge-rusher has been a need since they traded Brian Burns to the New York Giants a year ago, developing a stable weaponry for Young to work with is also as much of a priority.
Carolina replaced the lackluster production of Miles Sanders with Rico Dowdle in March , allowing the front office to shift its focus to the receiving corps. While the Panthers expect a second-year leap from Xavier Legette, they are also projected to bolster the unit in the draft.
