Dan Morgan is embarking on a pivotal offseason for the Carolina Panthers. The general manager set the franchise up for success by making some tough decisions throughout his first year at the helm. Now is the time to kick on after witnessing some encouraging signs over the second half of 2024.
The Panthers have a franchise quarterback in Bryce Young. Seeing the signal-caller flourish since becoming the starter again helps Morgan's plans considerably. Carolina knows it has a signal-caller to build around rather than chasing the next big thing. That cannot be overstated from a continuity standpoint.
Morgan needs to make sacrifices to put the Panthers in a better salary-cap spot before free agency. Releases, restructures, and extensions should get the number up. However, the front-office leader wants to build through the draft and supplement any remaining needs from the veteran market.
Carolina has nine selections in the 2025 NFL Draft after a flurry of trade activity before the deadline. Finding the right prospects is tricky. But the more picks Morgan has, the better his chances of striking gold.
It was another dramatic Week 18. This also had an impact on the final draft standings as expected. Some teams lost and saw their draft stock rise. Others — including the New England Patriots at No. 1 overall — got a meaningless victory to plummet.
Where will the Carolina Panthers pick in the 2025 NFL Draft?
The Panthers thought winning was more important than a top-five selection. While that's disappointing to some fans, it's hard to argue against the narrative when one considers this squad desperately needed to gain some encouragement from another losing season.
According to Tankathon, Carolina's heroics in overtime against the Falcons saw them drop to No. 8 overall in the 2025 NFL Draft. It's still a top-10 pick and should give Morgan a chance to select a blue-chip prospect depending on his assessments.
First-round 2025 NFL Draft order for non-playoff teams
Draft Standing | Team |
|---|---|
1. | Tennessee Titans |
2. | Cleveland Browns |
3. | New York Giants |
4. | New England Patriots |
5. | Jacksonville Jaguars |
6. | Las Vegas Raiders |
7. | New York Jets |
8. | Carolina Panthers |
9. | New Orleans Saints |
10. | Chicago Bears |
11. | San Francisco 49ers |
12. | Dallas Cowboys |
13. | Miami Dolphins |
14. | Indianapolis Colts |
15. | Atlanta Falcons |
16. | Arizona Cardinals |
17. | Cincinnati Bengals |
18. | Seattle Seahawks |
Possible first-round Carolina Panthers draft targets in 2025
It's hard to say for sure which way the Panthers are going to go with their first-rounder. Finding defensive reinforcements is crucial this offseason. But considering high-end prospects such as Mason Graham, Travis Hunter, and Abdul Carter could be gone by this point, it'll be a waiting game.
Michigan cornerback Will Johnson is another possibility. The same goes for Georgia edge rusher Mykel Williams. If the Panthers take positional importance out of the equation, someone like safety Malaki Starks enters the discussion.
If the Panthers go offense, they might consider trading back beforehand. Tetairoa McMillan is the best receiver in this class but will be long gone by No. 8 overall. Prospects like Luther Burden III and tight-end Tyler Warren should be available a little further down the pecking order. Taking one of the premier offensive tackles is possible, but Ikem Ekwonu and Taylor Moton looked like a solid duo in 2024.
It's a fascinating time for fans. But after so much confusion, friction, and everything in between, it's nice to have some franchise stability with Morgan and Canales leading the charge.