Nobody has been around the draft analyst business for longer than Mel Kiper Jr. of ESPN. The oracle of this annual process is respected and revered in equal measure. When he makes declarations, it carries a ton of weight.
The Carolina Panthers have nine draft selections at their disposal in 2025. General manager Dan Morgan won people over during a difficult first year. Building on this will be a major asset to the franchise in their bid to potentially enter the NFC South title picture next time around.
Needs will change once the Panthers navigate free agency. Carolina could use its first-round pick on another prolific weapon for improving quarterback Bryce Young. They should also closely examine the blue-chip defensive players to fortify Ejiro Evero's historically bad unit.
Morgan allocated significant resources to the offense during his first recruitment period at the helm. The defense became collateral damage and he took the blame for not having the correct quality in place for Evero to utilize. Expect the front-office leader to rectify this as a matter of urgency in the coming months.
Carolina Panthers select Jalon Walker in Mel Kiper Jr.'s first 2025 mock draft
This was a topic discussed by Kiper in his first mock draft of this year's cycle. With defensive backs Will Johnson and Malaki Starks still available, the guru went with linebacker Jalon Walker instead.
"Carolina gave up 6.0 yards per play and 31.4 points per game this season, both last in the NFL. Regardless of what you think of quarterback Bryce Young's long-term potential, it's tough to win games with a defense that allows that many points. [Jalon] Walker is versatile, and he can line up as a traditional off-ball linebacker or edge rusher. His game is all about speed-to-power, and no matter where you put him, he can get into the backfield to blow up plays. He had 6.5 sacks and seven tackles for loss this season, and he'd be a fit in coordinator Ejiro Evero's unit."Mel Kiper Jr.
Teams draft what prospects could be in the pros rather than focusing too much on their college production. Walker is versatile and ascending, so he'll likely be high on their list of possibilities depending on what additions arrive from the veteran pool.
The Panthers' edge rushing improved once D.J. Wonnum came back from injury. This freed up more space for Jadeveon Clowney and the progress was evident. However, acquiring another explosive pass-rusher with long-term promise wouldn't be the worst idea in the world.
Walker looks like a natural edge rusher in the pros. He's physically sound with elite-level explosiveness to the contact point. The Georgia prospect is a little raw technically and needs to refine his pass-rushing repertoire in the pros, but his instincts and ability to hold firm on the edge against the run should be enough to make an immediate contribution.
It was a mixed bag from Morgan's first draft class. Most of his choices got extended playing time throughout the campaign, which will serve them well. That doesn't detract from the urgent need to maximize his assets in Year 2 of this rebuild.
Whether it's Walker or someone else, they must get up to speed quickly. The last thing Carolina needs is another athletically gifted development project that may or may not work out.