Dan Morgan believes the Carolina Panthers are in a strong position to take the best prospect available at No. 19 overall in the 2026 NFL Draft. That also includes a potential move that would be almost unprecedented around the league.
The Panthers traded up for Xavier Legette at No. 32 overall in the 2024 draft. They didn't overthink their pick at No. 8 last year, selecting Tetairoa McMillan. One of those hasn't met the required markers, while the other took the league by storm en route to winning the AP Offensive Rookie of the Year award.
Even so, speculation is rising about the Panthers potentially selecting a wide receiver in the first round for the third consecutive year. That would be completely against the grain, but Morgan wasn't going to rule out the possibility if the draft board fell in their favor.
Carolina Panthers won't be boxed in during the 2026 NFL Draft as receiver speculation grows
Morgan made his intentions clear. If a wideout is highest on his list of options when Carolina goes on the clock, he won't hesitate to pull the trigger. The Panthers are not going to be boxed in, especially after a statement-making free agency that made the NFL sit up and take notice.
"I think with anything, we're going to take the best player. So if the best player we feel is that at 19, I wouldn't hesitate to draft another wideout.
"I don't think there's a rule that says you can't draft a wide receiver three years in a row. So I'm not really going to box us in and say we're not going to draft him."
The Panthers aren't joking, either. Morgan is a ruthless, methodical roster builder. He takes the best players and worries about the rest later. If there is genuine conviction in a certain prospect that may not be the consensus choice of experts, the front-office leader won't think twice.
Carolina has done its homework on several receivers who could be available at No. 19. Denzel Boston, Omar Cooper Jr., and KC Concepcion have all come in for pre-draft visits. Others projected to be taken lower down the order were also investigated in greater detail. That doesn't guarantee another wideout in the first round, but it shows Morgan will be ready for anything when the time comes.
The defense looks in pretty good shape after the Panthers signed edge rusher Jaelan Phillips and linebacker Devin Lloyd in free agency. They could still use another nickel cornerback and a productive safety to go alongside Tre'von Moehrig, but attention must also turn to the supporting cast around quarterback Bryce Young.
If that means taking another first-round wide receiver, so be it. But fans have complete faith that Morgan will find the prospects needed to take the next step.
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