Alright, Panthers fans, let’s talk. The 2025 season ended with a playoff loss to the Rams, and yeah, that stung. You know how it goes in the NFL though, by the time the confetti’s swept up, we’re already looking toward next year. And nothing gets the brain going quite like the first big mock drafts dropping, especially from a big time analyst.
So when NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah put out his Mock Draft 1.0 and 2.0, you know we all rushed to Twitter and started scrolling. We hope that analysts like Jeremiah are at least a little bit connected to the franchises we all love so their words can signal the front offices overall plan.
First, the Pick That Made Us All Go “Wait, What?”
Jeremiah’s first mock had us taking Arizona State wide receiver Jordyn Tyson with the 19th overall pick. My first reaction was probably the same as yours:Â Another wideout? Are we serious? What about Jalen Coker?
I mean, think about it. We just spent a first on Xavier Legette in ’24, and then we grabbed Tetairoa McMillan in the first round last year. If we go receiver again, that’s three straight years of using our top pick on guys catching the ball. And if you’ve watched this team the last few years, you know our defense has more holes in it than swiss cheese. We’re getting gashed in the run game, we can’t seem to get to the quarterback… and we’re gonna draft another receiver?
But here’s the thing—after I cooled off and actually thought about it, the logic started to creep in. Jeremiah’s point was that pairing Tyson (who’s 6’2″ and put up 18 touchdowns his last two years at ASU) with McMillan and Jalen Coker would basically give us a wide receiver room that’s set for years.
And look… I’m not gonna lie. The thought of Bryce Young dropping back with McMillan on one side, Tyson on the other, and Coker working the slot? That’s the kind of thing that makes you forget about defensive needs for a minute. That’s video game stuff. If you’re Bryce, you’re doing backflips. If you’re Dave Canales, you’re truly a dynamic TE or RB away from an offense that can contend for the NFC as a whole, rather than just the NFC South.
What This Says About How Morgan’s Building This Thing
Here’s where it gets interesting, and where we have to put on our GM hats for a second. If Dan Morgan really goes receiver in the first round again, he’s basically telling us something huge: he believes the offense is the key, and he trusts what we’ve already got on defense to develop.
That means he’s betting on guys like Nic Scourton (our rookie edge rusher from last year) to take a big step forward. And honestly? That’s either really smart or really risky.
The optimistic side of me says we’re building a powerhouse. We’re doing what the good teams do—loading up on weapons so our young quarterback can’t fail. The pessimistic side? Well, that side watched the Rams game too. We couldn’t get pressure on Stafford to save our lives. Our outside linebacker group managed only 11.5 sacks all season. All season. And now D.J. Wonnum’s hitting free agency.
And don’t even get me started on the offensive line questions. Ickey’s coming off that nasty patellar tendon injury, and both our centers from last year are free agents. That’s not nothing.
This Is Where Free Agency Comes In
Here’s the thing about mock drafts that people forget—they don’t happen in a vacuum. How we feel about Jeremiah’s picks in April is gonna depend completely on what Morgan does in March.
We’re looking at around $40 million in cap space. That’s real money. So if Morgan goes out and signs a veteran pass rusher like Joseph Ossai, or upgrades our linebacker corps with a coverage guy like Devin Lloyd? Suddenly drafting Tyson feels different. It feels like we’re adding a weapon because we can, not because we have to.
But if free agency comes and goes and we haven’t addressed the pass rush or the O-line? And then draft night rolls around and we take another receiver? Yeah, the fanbase is gonna lose it. And rightfully so.
The good news is the linebacker market actually looks pretty solid this year. Names like Nakobe Dean and Quay Walker might be out there. So there’s a path here where Morgan uses free agency to plug the leaks, and then uses the draft to add playmakers. That’s the dream scenario.
What This Means for Us as Fans
Look, here’s the bottom line. This offseason feels different than the ones we’ve had the last few years. We’re not rebuilding anymore—we just won the NFC South. We’re trying to contend. So when you see a name like Jordyn Tyson mocked to us, it’s exciting because it represents a ceiling we haven’t seen in Charlotte since Cam was in his prime.
Knowing your front office is willing to go all-in on making the offense explosive? That creates buzz. It sells jerseys. It makes Sundays appointment viewing again.
But it also raises the stakes. If the offense is loaded and the defense still can’t get a stop when it matters, the grace period for this staff is gonna be real short. Fans will turn quick.
For now, I’m just happy to be talking about playoff expectations instead of top-five draft picks. Let’s enjoy that. And let’s see what Morgan does with that cap space. That’s gonna tell us everything. On to free agency!
