The 2026 NFL Draft has come and gone for the Carolina Panthers, as all eyes are now set toward offseason training activities and training camp in the coming months.
Carolina and general manager Dan Morgan had themselves an impressive draft, attacking the trenches, landing players at quality value, and securing depth. The floor of the roster continues to be raised, and the competition is only just heating up.
With that said, some in the online draft community believe it is draft season every day of the year, as their eyes turn toward what looks to be a loaded 2027 class featuring top-tier quarterbacks and wide receivers. One prominent draft analyst marked down the Panthers for a potential top defensive prospect that could make defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero quite giddy.
Carolina Panthers select Oregon defensive tackle A'Mauri Washington in early 2027 mock draft
Dane Brugler of The Athletic, one of the most well-regarded draft minds, shared his annual way-too-early 2027 mock draft, featuring a strong group of quarterback prospects, wide receivers, and edge rushers. The defensive tackle group could be better than this year, and it is the position the analyst has Carolina attacking.
With the No. 10 pick in this mock draft, Oregon standout defensive lineman A'Mauri Washington was the choice for Carolina. This is what Brugler had to say on this stupendously early mock draft selection:
"If he’d declared for the 2026 draft, Washington likely would have been a top-25 pick and had a chance to be the first interior defensive lineman selected. Another year of development in Eugene could get him in the top 15."
A few things to note. The draft order is based on Super Bowl odds, and it seems like Vegas is lower on the Panthers than the consensus. Brugler is projecting a potential future need, and a lot will change from now to next April.
Defensive tackle could be a need once more, even after Morgan has selected a defensive tackle in each of the past three drafts, including Cam Jackson and second-round pick Lee Hunter. If Tershawn Wharton and Bobby Brown III fail to meet expectations once again, the Panthers could cut bait.
If the Panthers are picking inside the Top 10 next spring, something went horribly wrong for the team. As hard as it might be to hear, if Bryce Young were to underperform at incredibly low levels, a quarterback would be right up there as a top need, along with linebacker, tight end, running back, and defensive tackle.
Even so, we won't get ahead of ourselves here.
These are all hypothetical and predictions, as Brugler's mock draft is nothing more than for fans to get an idea of who the potential top prospects are heading into the regular season. Again, much will change from this list, especially for the Panthers, who should be picking a good four or five picks later than they did this year.
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