Dan Morgan was widely expected to trade back or take one of the top defensive prospects at No. 8 overall in the 2025 NFL Draft. The Carolina Panthers threw a major curveball into the mix by selecting Arizona wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan instead.
McMillan drew interest from the Panthers throughout their comprehensive pre-draft assessments. The gifted pass-catcher comes into the franchise with legitimate WR1 potential. This will help quarterback Bryce Young considerably and give head coach Dave Canales an asset with similar traits to Mike Evans, whom he worked closely with on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
This was a risk Morgan thought was worth taking, especially considering the perceived drop-off in talent after the first few wide receiver prospects came off the board. But make no mistake, his next move is painfully obvious.
Carolina Panthers must find an explosive edge rusher with their second 2025 NFL Draft pick
The Panthers need to find an explosive edge rusher capable of generating pressure consistently. And they need it urgently.
It's an area where the Panthers lack dynamism right now. Jadeveon Clowney is a solid pro but aging. D.J. Wonnum could enhance his influence with a full offseason under his belt, but there's no telling for sure. Signing Patrick Jones II from the Minnesota Vikings in free agency will help, even if it shouldn't prevent Morgan from adding another to the unit.
Fortunately for the Panthers, this is a deep group of edge rushers emerging from the college ranks. Several went in the first round, led by Abdul Carter to the New York Giants as expected. There is still plenty of meat on the bone, and Carolina has picks in the second and third rounds to make this objective a reality.
Morgan made a concerted effort to prioritize the defense this offseason. That was almost guaranteed after Ejiro Evero's unit made headlines for all the wrong reasons in 2024. Their production will go down in NFL history (and not in a good way), so giving all three levels a major makeover was the only desirable path to take.
The free-agent additions, coupled with the fact Morgan had nine picks at his disposal, gave the Panthers a sense of freedom to take McMillan and worry about the rest later. It's one box ticked off, but more defensive acquisitions are essential before confidence in Carolina's chances increases.
There's a collaborative strategy in place within the Panthers these days. The visions are aligned, and team owner David Tepper is nothing but an innocent bystander when it comes to football matters. Morgan knows what's required, so expect Carolina's next choice to be one of the remaining edge rushers at No. 57 overall.
If Morgan likes one enough to move up, that couldn't be dismissed either.