Building around quarterback Bryce Young should be high on the Carolina Panthers' list of priorities this offseason. They are in a strong position to do just that with nine selections during the 2025 NFL Draft.
Young did more than enough to get another go-around next season. Benching the No. 1 overall selection in the 2023 draft was a huge call for head coach Dave Canales to make. Fortunately, it got a positive response and ignited a fire in his signal-caller.
Canales has already confirmed Young as his starting quarterback in 2025. There's optimism for the future, but complacency cannot become an issue. The Panthers need to add pieces on both sides of the football. The right acquisitions could see them become a popular wild-card pick next season.
How the Panthers go about this remains to be seen. They don't have much salary-cap space to be big spenders, although additional sacrifices are expected before the legal tampering period commences. Hitting on their draft picks is also going to help enormously, so there is a lot of hard work awaiting Morgan in the coming months.
Carolina Panthers select WR Isaiah Bond in 2025 NFL mock draft
Nothing has been decided and needs will change depending on which free agents come into the fold. Vinnie Iyer from Sporting News went down a surprising route in his recent 2025 NFL mock draft, ignoring the glaring need on defense to reunite Young with one of his former college teammates.
The choice, perhaps surprisingly, was wide receiver Isaiah Bond.
"The Panthers can do well for themselves by going with the best defensive player available after some historic issues stopping the run, containing the pass, and giving up points. But they also need to keep pushing Bryce Young forward with a speedy big-play threat, and it helps that he has a good previous rapport with [Isaiah] Bond from Alabama before his transfer."Vinnie Iyer
Nothing can be dismissed with weeks remaining until the draft and the evaluation process in full swing. However, this would be nothing sort of jaw-dropping.
Bond declared for the draft, which was a surprise. The gifted pass-catcher is hoping to capitalize on a weaker class at the receiver spot compared to previous years. He's got some useful traits to build upon. Whether they're enough to justify a top-10 selection is another matter.
This is dependent on two things. First, the number of quarterbacks that go before Carolina is on the clock. The more signal-callers get taken, the more chance of one of the blue-chip defensive prospects being available. That would be hard to turn down from Morgan's standpoint.
Secondly, the Panthers' moves before the draft. If Morgan can fill critical areas in free agency, it provides the front-office leader with some extra flexibility during the selection event.
The Texas prospect is a good player. Bond is an electrifying threat after the catch, knows how to create separation quickly, and the already-developed chemistry with Young should help. What the Panthers need to figure out is whether he's worthy of such a big investment.
This seems like a reach. But make no mistake, Morgan won't hesitate to pull the trigger if he feels like it's the best thing for the franchise.