National Football League

2024 Carolina Panthers 7-round mock draft: QB Bryce Young gets help at WR

Updated Apr. 8, 2024 10:51 a.m. ET

The Panthers, in the midst of a franchise makeover without the trump card of a first-round draft pick, have already signed a dozen new players in free agency to go with a new coach in Dave Canales and a newly promoted general manager in Dan Morgan.

Though they're not on the clock until Day 2 at No. 33 overall, the Panthers will still be tempted by the chance to trade down and add more picks. Having the first pick of the second round means getting calls as the entire league has a day to identify the unexpected oversights passed over in the first round and aggressively move up to get one.

Should the Panthers consider dropping down a few spots? Arizona traded down eight spots last year and picked up a third-round pick for it. If there isn't a prospect the Panthers love — there really should be one when you're trying to upgrade a 2-15 team — then perhaps they slide down a handful of picks and add another impact rookie to this draft class. For now, we'll plan on them staying at 33, knowing one of the deepest positions in this draft lines up with perhaps their greatest need: help at receiver.

Second round, No. 33 overall: WR Keon Coleman, Florida State

The Panthers have traded for former Steelers receiver Diontae Johnson, but there will be immediate-impact downfield threats available at 33, even with as many as seven receivers projected to go in the first round as part of a ridiculously talented class.

Why Coleman? I think Canales has come to appreciate the benefits of having size at receiver. In his last four years in Seattle, he had 6-foot-4 DK Metcalf, who averaged nine touchdowns a season with Canales. Last year in Tampa, he had 6-foot-5 Mike Evans, who tied for the NFL lead in touchdown receptions with 13.

Coleman might not end up being either of those receivers, but at 6-foot-3, 213 pounds, he's arguably the biggest of the receivers likely to be there at 33. After transferring from Michigan State, Coleman had a breakout year with the Seminoles, catching 11 touchdowns.

If the priority in free agency was upgrading the offensive line by adding guards Robert Hunt and Damien Lewis, the obvious position at the top of Carolina's list of glaring needs is receiver. Coleman should be able to make a more consistent impact than Jonathan Mingo did as the No. 39 pick a year ago, getting 85 targets and not managing a single touchdown.

Second round, No. 39 overall: CB Max Melton, Rutgers

This is the pick acquired from the Giants for edge rusher Brian Burns last month, and you could make a case for reinvesting the pick directly into another outside linebacker. But this isn't a great year for pass-rushers, with the top four likely off the board before Carolina picks at 33. Corner, however, should be a position where the Panthers can find a solid starter to line up opposite Jaycee Horn in a revamped secondary.

Why Melton? He has eight interceptions in the past three seasons, and the Panthers could use a ballhawk, after finishing with a league-low 11 takeaways in 2023. Carolina has Troy Hill and he has experience with coordinator Ejiro Evero, but a guy you can bring back on a league-minimum contract shouldn't be a starting cornerback. Melton's brother, Bo, was a receiver drafted by the Seahawks in 2022 when Canales and offensive coordinator Brad Idzik were in Seattle, so there's a slim connection to go with a strong résumé and a positional need.

Third round, No. 65 overall: Edge Adisa Isaac, Penn State

The Panthers signed a pair of veteran pass-rushers in Jadeveon Clowney and D.J. Wonnum, so they don't necessarily need a rookie to start on the edge this season. A third-round pick can rotate in this year and develop with an eye on starting in 2025, and Isaac is coming off a strong 2023 season where he had 7.5 sacks and 16 tackles for loss at Penn State. Carolina finished with a league-low 27 sacks last season, and this rookie will join the two veterans as the players tasked with raising that number considerably.

Fourth round, No. 101 overall: DT DeWayne Carter, Duke

Carolina re-signed defensive tackle Derrick Brown to a lucrative extension and added A'Shawn Robinson in free agency, but the Panthers could use a dose of youth up front. Carter is 6-foot-2, 302 pounds, and ran the 40 in 4.99 seconds. He flashed potential as an interior pass-rusher in 2022, getting 5.5 sacks, forcing three fumbles and recovering three as well.

Fifth round, No. 141 overall: TE Jared Wiley, TCU

A high school quarterback, Wiley spent three years at Texas before transferring and emerging with the Horned Frogs. He has great size at 6-foot-7, 255 pounds, and caught eight touchdowns last year, as part of 47 catches for 520 yards. The Panthers could use help at tight end, where Tommy Tremble has had flashes but still just seven touchdowns in three seasons. Canales was in Seattle when the Seahawks ran a ton of multiple-TE looks, allowing for running and passing out of the same balanced look.

Fifth round, No. 142 overall: RB Isaiah Davis, South Dakota State

Carolina has its top three backs returning from last year in Chuba Hubbard, Miles Sanders and Raheem Blackshear, but the Panthers took a step back in the run game, averaging fewer than four yards per carry.

A fifth-round draft pick isn't likely to change that much, but Davis was prolific with the Jackrabbits — 1,578 yards and 18 touchdowns last season, and 50 touchdowns in his college career. He's a bigger back at 218 pounds, with none of the top returning three listed at more than 210.

Seventh round, No. 240 overall: LB Jontrey Hunter, Georgia State

A backup linebacker, active on special teams, is a good way for a seventh-round pick to stick on a 53-man roster. Hunter is 6-foot-2, 236 pounds, had 96 tackles his last year in Atlanta and forced five fumbles over the last two seasons. He has some experience as a pass-rusher, so he could moonlight as a sub-package blitzer, especially with Frankie Luvu gone to Washington.

Greg Auman is FOX Sports' NFC South reporter, covering the Buccaneers, Falcons, Panthers and Saints. He is in his 10th season covering the Bucs and the NFL full-time, having spent time at the Tampa Bay Times and The Athletic. You can follow him on Twitter at @gregauman.