When Dan Morgan says the Carolina Panthers are in a “best player available” mindset, it’s easy to roll your eyes. Every general manager says that before the draft. But the front-office leader followed it with something far more telling.
“We want guys that make plays… whether it’s a DB taking the ball away or it’s a receiver or running back scoring touchdowns.”
Then he got even more specific: a rangy, ball-hawking safety and a speed receiver with yards after catch ability. And in his latest seven-round mock for Joe Person of The Athletic, he predicted what that looks like for Carolina.
In the third round, at No. 83 overall, the respected insider selected wideout Brenen Thompson.
Brenen Thompson could give Carolina Panthers the speed they are sorely lacking
Thompson ran 4.26 seconds in the 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine, the fastest in Indianapolis this year and one of the fastest in history. But this isn’t just track speed that shows up on a spreadsheet and disappears in games. It's all over his tape.
The Mississippi State star led the SEC in receiving yards last season. Thompson averaged 18.5 yards per catch, had five catches of more than 50 yards, and hit 24.07 miles per hour at the Combine. The power is evident, benching 305 pounds and squatting 405 despite his diminutive stature.
Thompson is not a gadget. He is a score-anywhere receiver.
The Panthers don’t need another volume receiver. They already have that in Tetairoa McMillan, Jalen Coker, and maybe Xavier Legette. What they don’t have is a player that defenses have to account for before the snap because of raw vertical speed.
Thompson changes coverage rules. Safeties can’t sit flat-footed. Corners can’t squat on comebacks. And linebackers can’t flow downhill on screens. Because if they do, he’s gone.
In Dave Canales and Brad Idzik's offense, built on spacing, play action, and creating one-on-one shots, a receiver who can win instantly with acceleration is a cheat code for a quarterback like Bryce Young.
Thompson is only 5-foot-9 and 164 pounds. He’s had ankle injuries. Even further, he had only one year of major production, and he’s just not built for traffic. However, that is exactly why he’s a Day 2 prospect instead of a first-rounder.
But at No. 83 overall? That’s where you bet on rare traits. Simply put, there are very few humans in the world who can do what Thompson does with a football in space.
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