Carolina Panthers 4-round 2023 NFL mock draft: Bye week edition

Carolina Panthers select Jalin Hyatt

• Wide Receiver | Tennessee

When it comes to rookie quarterbacks, it is important to surround them with the three P’s: playmakers, protection, and a good play-caller.

The Carolina Panthers already possess two of the three, while the third will be figured out during the offseason. In the meantime, C.J. Stroud needs all the help he can get to succeed early on in the NFL.

D.J. Moore, Terrace Marshall Jr., and Laviska Sheanult Jr. have shown to be worthy playmakers for the Panthers’ offense this season. However, the speed element is missing and should be a priority next spring.

With that in mind, the Panthers take one of the best deep-threat wide receivers in the upcoming draft.

Jalin Hyatt is one of the best wideouts in the country thanks to explosiveness and easy acceleration after the catch. The Tennessee product averaged nearly 19 yards per catch and 15 touchdowns in 2022 for the Volunteers, who have arguably the best offense in college football.

While I haven’t fully dived into his film, Hyatt does remind me of Robbie Anderson in terms of his slender size, speed, route timing, and ball-tracking skills that allow him to be the vertical threat he is. The biggest concern will be how he handles press-man coverage after working mainly from the slot in Josh Heupel’s spread scheme.

With Hyatt in the fold, the Panthers’ offense could be deadly. But landing the right play-caller is crucial for the unit’s success early on.