The Carolina Panthers never stand still under the current regime. They may have made the playoffs by winning the NFC South last season, but general manager Dan Morgan knew more was needed in his quest to take the next step into legitimate contention.
After making strategic splashes in free agency, the Panthers found real value during the draft. Morgan picked his spots superbly, securing some intriguing prospects who could help Carolina excel both in the short and long term. Unfortunately for some, that casts even more doubt on their futures.
With this in mind, here are four Panthers players whose starting ambitions may be slipping away to this year's rookie class.
Carolina Panthers players whose starting jobs are slipping away after aggressive draft moves
Xavier Legette - WR
Things were hanging precariously for Xavier Legette even before the draft. The wide receiver hasn't come close to reaching his first-round billing as yet, and even though he was gradually phased out as the 2025 campaign went on, head coach Dave Canales is not ready to give up on him yet.
The stakes were raised exponentially with the arrival of Chris Brazzell II in the third round. He's got the size, speed, and large catch radius to be a massive threat. With Tetairoa McMillan and Jalen Coker firmly cemented into their roles, Legette could be on the fringes.
Rasheed Walker - OT
The Panthers got Rasheed Walker for a bona fide steal in free agency. Most thought he would fill in as the short-term stopgap until Ikem Ekwonu came back from a ruptured patellar tendon. However, that might not be so clear-cut now.
Carolina saw enough in Monroe Freeling to take the athletic edge protector No. 19 overall. He's got some technical refinements to figure out, and adding more play strength to help on running plays would also be beneficial. But if the desired improvements arrive this summer, he could start from Day 1 on the blindside at the expense of Walker.
Bobby Brown III - DL
The Panthers made an effort to get younger in the trenches over their first two selections. Freeling was first, and Morgan traded up to No. 49 in the second round to secure the services of formidable nose tackle Lee Hunter. Based on this conviction, it would be surprising if the Texas A&M product wasn't thrown into the fire right away.
Bobby Brown III was probably hoping to replace A'Shawn Robinson. While that might still be the case, drafting Hunter completely changes the dynamic.
Luke Fortner - C
The Panthers decided not to keep Cade Mays in free agency. Luke Fortner was signed in free agency to provide short-term relief. Even so, Carolina added another fascinating element into the equation with fifth-round pick Sam Hecht.
He was expected to be a Day 2 selection. If Hecht picks things up quickly, he could be a steal. Unfortunately, that might result in Fortner going to the bench at some stage.
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