The time has finally arrived. We are now just days away from the start of the 2024 NFL Draft and a crucial step in the rebuilding of the Carolina Panthers. These are either anxious or exciting times for fans considering the unique format for the franchise this year with no first-round selection.
Heading into the draft, general manager Dan Morgan and head coach Dave Canales have made it clear they want to make the team overall a better, more cohesive group. In their pre-draft press conference, they mentioned that the team is looking for playmakers in general and not singling on a specific side of the football.
As we all know, Bryce Young showed glimpses of being a great NFL quarterback throughout his rookie season, including a breakout performance versus the Green Bay Packers late into the campaign. Surrounding him with sufficient talent is near or at the top of the list for Morgan and Canales, but they also understand the need to take away the football. Especially the former, who was a star linebacker for Carolina in the early 2000s.
It is very difficult to project who will be available when the Panthers kick off the second night of the draft with No. 33 and No. 39 overall selections. If they had their original first-round pick, the No. 1 overall pick, the conversation would be centered around trading back for significant capital or selecting one of Ohio State wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. or Notre Dame offensive tackle Joe Alt.
Using the Pro Football Network simulator, this final seven-round mock draft not only presents a scenario but also my best guess for what may happen during the second and third days of the event. It’s been a long draft cycle and that is coming to a close soon. Without further ado, here is my final 2024 Panthers mock draft.
Carolina Panthers select Xavier Legette
- Wide Receiver | South Carolina Gamecocks
- Round No. 2 | No. 33 overall
Pick your poison here. The Carolina Panthers could go in any direction with this draft selection, whether it’s trading back or drafting a different style of wide receiver.
It’s hard to ignore how much interest the team has shown in South Carolina pass-catcher Xavier Legette. The team has interviewed or spoken with him on numerous occasions. Considering the local connection and overall skill set, it makes a lot of sense why the fifth-year senior could be the Panthers' first pick.
Admittedly, if Carolina were to select a receiver at this spot, I would be inclined to draft Ladd McConkey or Ja’Lynn Polk over Legette under personal preference. Thankfully, I’m not the one deciding on who to draft - that’s the job of Dan Morgan and Brandt Tilis. For what it’s worth, I would not be opposed to selecting the Gamecocks playmaker.
Legette wins on vertical planes, whether that’s on crossers, go-routes, posts, or slot fades. He uses his explosive long speed and physicality to win downfield. There are flashes of him sprinting away from defenses and ruining pursuit angles. On top of that, his ball skills are fun to watch, and the wideout understands how and where to high-point passes while displaying quality body control.
However, some concerns could limit him to being a big slot early. He rounds his routes at times when breaking off the stem on intermediate concepts. Legette won’t win with lateral quickness at the line of scrimmage and must develop more release packages to win with more deliberate physicality in the contact window.
Legette might be somewhat of a raw prospect. However, not as such compared to his 2023 second-round counterpart, Jonathan Mingo.
Overall, Legette is a potential high-end No. 2 wide receiver with “big slot” and movement-Z versatility along with immense developmental potential.
There are some consistencies and areas of his game that could use improvement such as opening up his route tree and playing with more manipulation at the line of scrimmage. However, the prospect offers a vertical skill set that allows him to be a threat in underneath RAC situations due to his long speed along with the ball skills and body control to threaten at all three levels.
Carolina Panthers select Edgerrin Cooper
- Linebacker | Texas A&M Aggies
- Round No. 2 | No. 39 overall
Remember the emphasis that general manager Dan Morgan and head coach Dave Canales made in their recent interview. Despite most projections highlighting the need to focus on the offensive weapons to go alongside quarterback Bryce Young, they’re looking for playmakers on both sides of the ball.
Should the No. 33 overall selection be an offensive acquisition of some sort, look for the Carolina Panthers to potentially go with a defensive option with their No. 39 overall pick gained when Brian Burns was traded to the New York Giants. The one that makes the most sense to me is the best linebacker in the 2024 NFL Draft, Texas A&M’s Edgerrin Cooper.
The Panthers have had a long history of great linebackers such as Sam Mills, Morgan himself, Jon Beason, Thomas Davis, Luke Kuechly, and Shaq Thompson. I would even include Frankie Luvu during his last few seasons on the team. It’s time for Carolina to find their future on the second level. That could be Cooper, who I see as a Luvu clone of sorts.
Cooper has some areas that he needs to be somewhat more consistent. These include playing with more control at the point of attack and improving his overall play strength. However, he offers the potential to be a three-down linebacker due to his physical nature as a tackler, near-elite athleticism, range, coverage ability, and his growing pass-rush skill set.
Cooper led the Aggies in tackles, tackles-for-loss, and sacks which shows his three-down versatility overall. He's also got the mentality that Morgan is looking to install across the Panthers are part of his cultural reset. So it wouldn't be surprising to see the prospect become one of interest if he takes it this far down the board.
He might not be a Week 1 starter and that’s okay. Cooper would provide value as a third-down coverage and pass-rush asset while continuing to grow as a run defender overall.
Carolina Panthers select Mike Sainristil
- Cornerback | Michigan Wolverines
- Round No. 3 | No. 65 overall
Rumors have been swirling about the possibility of Michigan defensive back Mike Sainristil being one of the Carolina Panthers' first selections. It would make sense on the preface to add playmakers on both sides of the ball, though the nickel cornerback could be a reach to some based on his size and play strength concerns.
It is a legitimate possibility and makes a lot of sense. However, Sainristil’s value makes more sense toward the backend of the second round or early in the third, though I am not opposed to him being the team’s first selection. He’s a good prospect overall and someone that can have an immediate impact.
Sainristil stands out in a lot of ways. As a former wide receiver, the ball skills and aggression at the catch point translated to 12 passes defended and six interceptions. He also has elite football acumen, which allows him to be very disciplined in both man and zone coverage.
Despite being an older prospect, Sainristil plays bigger than his 5-foot-9, 182-pound frame, which is noticeable as a tackler in run support. The first-team All-American defensive back projects as a starting nickelback in the NFL, leaving Troy Hill as a depth piece and putting into question whether or not the Panthers sign Stephon Gilmore after the draft.
Carolina Panthers select Tanor Bortolini
- Center | Wisconsin Badgers
- Round No. 4 | No. 101 overall
It’s hard to foresee Austin Corbett being the Day 1 starting center considering his lack of experience and latest injury history. The Carolina Panthers should address the position at some point during the 2024 NFL Draft - whether that’s at No. 33 overall or No. 240 overall.
Thankfully, this center class features plenty of prospects that project as potential starters at the next level. Tanor Bortolini fits the bill.
Throughout his career with the Wisconsin Badgers, Bortolini offers great positional versatility to play all five spots along the offensive line. He displays natural leverage and anchoring ability that allows him to flash as a potential concrete wall in the middle. Furthermore, the prospect boasts above-average movement skills, football intelligence in run and pass game assignments, and enough physicality to fit in Dave Canales’ zone-blocking scheme.
Bortolini graded out as an early third-round player on my big board for the reasons above. The only reason why he wasn’t higher is due to his near-average play strength and balance inconsistencies. However, this is an interior offensive lineman who projects as a future starting center with the opportunity to compete for significant playing time early this season.
Carolina Panthers select Jared Wiley
- Tight End | TCU Horned Frogs
- Round No. 5 | No. 141 overall
The Carolina Panthers require more depth in the tight end room. It wouldn’t be ideal to have Ian Thomas as your No. 2 tight end entering the regular season, even if that is a real possibility. Plus, Tommy Tremble is entering a contract year and the team needs insurance for the potential reality that the fourth-year pass-catcher doesn’t meet some loftier expectations.
Enter, Jared Wiley. The first-team All-Big 12 is a great hands catcher with ample hand-eye coordination and body control to pose as a middle-of-the-field target. His long arms make for a great catch radius that allows him to snag passes away from his frame with consistency.
The team could be looking for more of a receiving tight end in the draft. Wiley’s play style reminds me of Mike Gesicki.
This could be a natural fit in the Panthers' offense and allow Wiley to develop, adding more play strength and improving his run-blocking technique overall.
Carolina Panthers select Xavier Thomas
- Edge Rusher | Clemson Tigers
- Round No. 5 | No. 142 overall
Is this the year the Panthers end the drought of not drafting a Clemson prospect? It’s hard to say if that will be the case. However, the team needs an edge rusher despite the additions of Jadeveon Clowney and D.J. Wonnum. If they are to draft one, expect to be one with explosiveness, bend, and pass-rush production.
Xavier Thomas makes a lot of sense if the Panthers want to go with a local route. The super-senior and former five-star high school recruit tallied 17.5 sacks during his Tigers career, displaying great cornering ability, hip flexibility, bend, and explosiveness to off-set and overwhelm opposing offensive tackles.
The former freshman All-American displays a baseline pass rush arsenal that will allow him to be a potential stable in a defensive rotation. Thomas won’t ever be a true three-down defender but could be a steady pass-rush specialist similar to former outside linebacker Marquis Haynes Sr.'s role on the roster.
Carolina Panthers select Evan Anderson
- Defensive Tackle | Florida Atlantic Owls
- Round No. 7 | No. 240 overall
In reality, I do not expect the Panthers to keep their seventh-round selection. However, if they do it should be utilized to select either potential special teams contributors or depth along the defensive line. In this instance, the team uses this pick on a potential contributing nose tackle to fill gaps in the run game.
At 6-foot-1 and 321 pounds, Evan Anderson displays a wide frame and natural leverage to anchor in the run game. There are flashes of a sufficient bull-rush that would allow him to penetrate pockets, though they weren't consistent enough to be considered mid-round value. However, he holds his own as a two-gap defender, displaying the skill set to be a rotational defensive tackle at the next level.
Anderson’s physical and athletic profile is worth taking a chance on if you’re the Panthers. At worst, the former FAU All-AAC defensive lineman doesn’t make the team. At best, he could make the roster and be a potential impact zero-technique or one-technique who could spend time on the practice squad to continue his development as an NFL defensive lineman.