- Missouri's Josiah Trotter would firm up the run defense: Trotter stood out as one of the nation’s top run defenders in 2025. He recorded 24 run stops, including 10 tackles for loss or no gain, while maintaining an average tackle depth of just 2.69 yards.
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The Carolina Panthers capitalized on a weak NFC South in 2025, winning the division despite dropping their final two regular-season games. Still, Carolina has plenty of work to do before it can be considered a true contender.
The defense needs impact additions at every level, particularly in the front seven. On offense, there were flashes of promise, but the Panthers still need a long-term solution at center and more youth and athleticism at wide receiver.
With a full complement of Day 1 and Day 2 picks, Carolina should have the opportunity to add meaningful talent on both sides of the ball in this year’s draft.
Round 1, Pick 19: WR Makai Lemon, USC
Lemon brings the quickness and separation ability needed to complement 2025 first-round pick Tetairoa McMillan. At USC last season, 31 of his 79 receptions went for explosive gains, and he forced 21 missed tackles with the ball in his hands. He also showed strong ball skills, coming down with 10 of 15 contested targets.
Round 2, Pick 51: LB Josiah Trotter, Missouri
Trotter stood out as one of the nation’s top run defenders in 2025. He recorded 24 run stops, including 10 tackles for loss or no gain, while maintaining an average tackle depth of just 2.69 yards. He also earned a positively graded play on an impressive 22.2% of run snaps for the Tigers.
https://www.pff.com/draft/nfl-mock-draft-simulatorRound 3, Pick 83: DI Dontay Corleone, Cincinnati
Corleone has the tools to develop into a starting nose tackle at the next level. He logged 1,025 snaps at nose tackle over the past three seasons and earned positively graded plays on well over 15% of run snaps — an impressive mark considering the frequency of double teams he faced.
Round 4, Pick 119: ED Quintayvious Hutchins, Boston College
Hutchins skipped agility drills at the combine but still impressed with his athletic testing, running a 4.74-second 40-yard dash and posting a 37-inch vertical jump. On the field, he generated 24 pressures in 2025 while earning positively graded plays on 16.1% of run snaps.
Round 5, Pick 156: S Michael Taaffe, Texas
Taaffe earned coverage grades above 89.0 in each of the past two seasons at Texas. During that span, he recorded four interceptions and forced eight incompletions, showcasing strong instincts and playmaking ability on the back end.