CHARLOTTE — The clock is ticking. And it's almost time for the Carolina Panthers to add to the roster.

With the 2025 NFL Draft a week away, it's worth looking back over the last few months to see how that impacts the team's needs and how they might fill them.

The Panthers were aggressive in adding to the defense in free agency (you can follow up on all the moves in our free agency tracker), but they still have significant needs on that side of the ball.

General manager Dan Morgan has made no secret of his desire to fix a defense that finished last in the league last season and allowed the most points, the second-most yards, and the third-most rushing yards in NFL history.

When he did his annual pre-draft press conference, that was clear. Of course, he wasn't giving much away, either, as he's learned early in his career as a GM how to disguise intentions.

And as the days pass, we'll have all of that action documented here at Panthers.com. Bookmark this page for the next few weeks, and we'll keep you up to date on all the moves and news.

Panthers 2025 draft picks

The Panthers started with nine total picks and eight in the first five rounds, but have eight at the moment after a flurry of deals. You can take a look at how they acquired those picks here.

• Their own first-rounder (No. 8 overall) — Arizona WR Tetairoa McMillan
• Broncos' second-rounder (No. 51 overall) — Texas A&M OLB Nic Scourton
• Patriots' third-rounder (No. 77 overall) — Ole Miss OLB Princely Umanmielen
• Cowboys fourth-rounder (No. 114 overall) — Georgia RB Trevor Etienne
• Broncos' fourth-rounder (No. 122 overall) — Ohio State S Lathan Ransom
• New York Giants' fifth-rounder (No. 140 overall) — Florida DT Cam Jackson
• Ravens' fifth-rounder (No. 163 overall) — Notre Dame TE Mitchell Evans
• Broncos' sixth-rounder (No. 208 overall) — Colorado WR Jimmy Horn Jr.

The Panthers take TMac at No. 8

The Panthers went offense with their first-rounder, using the eighth overall selection on Arizona wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan.

He provides a huge target for quarterback Bryce Young, along with last year's first-rounder Xavier Legette.

And while many thought they'd lean defense, Panthers head coach Dave Canales had a simple explanation for why McMillan was the pick.

"The guy's a baller," Canales said. "There's a simple way to look at it. Watch film, and the ballers show up. And they make plays in big moments and they're always looking to do something special."

Of course, McMillan and Young have known each other for years, dating back to a high school rivalry that Young's Mater Dei team got the better of.

"In my eyes, he was the best player in the country and to everybody else's eyes, but man, he was just really good. He knew how to get his teammates involved. He was super patient in the pocket. He threw a pretty ball, and, you know, he has swag on that field."

Panthers trade up to get their pass-rusher at No. 51

The Panthers swapped four picks back and forth with the Broncos to get to outside linebacker Nic Scourton with the 51st pick.

The Panthers traded the 54th, 74th, 111th, and 230th picks to Denver in exchange for the 51st, 85th, 122nd, and 208th.

The deal leaves them with nine total picks, the same as they entered the weekend with.

Panthers trade up again to get another pass-rusher at No. 77

The Panthers did a smaller two-for-one swap this time, trading the 85th and 146th to New England for the 77th pick.

With that pick, they took Ole Miss outside linebacker Princely Umanmielen.

Adding a pair of guys to pressure quarterbacks was an unexpected bounty on Friday night, and Morgan admitted as much after the fact.

What's left on Saturday

For all the moves made, the Panthers still have five picks in the final four rounds.

(Actually they'll be finished before the seventh, barring any more moves. But what are the chances of that.)

Grabbing a running back/returner at 114

The Panthers added a dynamic return man and option in the backfield, using their first fourth-rounder on Georgia running back Trevor Etienne.

The brother of former Clemson star and Jaguars running back Travis Etienne, he could become a weapon on kick returns with his speed.

Adding to the secondary at No. 122

The Panthers found another safety for a group that needs it, selecting Ohio State defensive back Lathan Ransom at the 122nd spot.

They only had three on the roster entering the draft, so this was a positional need.

More size for the defensive line

With the 140th overall pick, the Panthers selected Florida defensive tackle Cam Jackson.

The 6-foot-6, 330-pound Jackson (who has 34-inch arms) adds another massing presence inside, after they signed Tershawn Wharton and Bobby Brown III in free agency. Coupled with the return of Derrick Brown, they've upgraded the defensive front in a major way.

Adding another tight end from Notre Dame

After re-signing Tommy Tremble this offseason, the Panthers added another Golden Domer by using the 163rd overall pick on tight end Mitchell Evans.

He had 43 catches for 421 yards and three touchdowns last year for Notre Dame.

Closing it out with a receiver and return man

The Panthers used their last pick of eight on Colorado wideout Jimmy Horn Jr., taking him with the 208th selection.

He's small but quick, and gives them a legit punt return option.

Taking the long view of the 2025 NFL Draft

In a perfect world, the Panthers won't have to be as active in free agency as they've been the last two years.

That's why when Dave Canales thinks about this draft, he's thinking about the long-range implications.

Read this one for more on the way Canales, GM Dan Morgan, and executive vice president of football operations Brandt Tilis are looking at this weekend.

"We have to be really disciplined; Dan, Brandt, myself looking for players and adding players of value for this year, and for the future," Canales said. "We just have to be really disciplined about a plan of building this team the right way and making sure that we make the right moves that are going to affect us for a while."

Panthers history with the No. 8 overall pick

This spot has been good to the Panthers in the past. They've chosen eighth four times in franchise history.

1996 RB Tshimanga Biakabutuka

Injuries hampered the Michigan product during his career, but he was brilliant when he was well.

The man once gained 123 yards and scored three touchdowns in a quarter against Washington in 1999. That was his most productive season, as he ran 138 times for 718 yards (5.2 yards per carry) and six touchdowns while splitting the work with Fred Lane.

He was only able to play in 50 games over six seasons, but has gone onto a successful career in the restaurant business, owning eight Bojangles stores in Augusta, Ga.

2003 OT Jordan Gross

All he did was step into the starting lineup as a rookie and help a retooled offense to a Super Bowl appearance.

Of course, he wasn't supposed to be the eighth pick, as the Panthers began that draft with the 9th overall pick. But when Minnesota didn't get the seventh pick in before their time elapsed, the Jaguars ran to the front with their card to take quarterback Byron Leftwich, and the Panthers weren't far behind to secure the rights to Gross.

He earned All-Pro honors in 2008, went to three Pro Bowls, and was named to the Panthers Hall of Honor in 2019.

Gross is now a successful farmer and high school football coach in Idaho (Go Fruitland Grizzlies), and the co-host of the mega-hit Jordan and Jake Podcast.

2017 RB Christian McCaffrey

One of the game's true talents, McCaffrey was a do-it-all back, and the kind of player who carried an offense.

He led the league with 2,392 yards from scrimmage and 19 touchdowns in 2019, going over 1,000 yards rushing and receiving.

He struggled with injuries before the Panthers traded him to the 49ers in 2022, playing in just 10 games during the 2020 and 2021 seasons. But he was a two-time All-Pro selection during his years here.

And as he showed in 2023 with the 49ers, when he ran for a league-high 1,459 yards, he can still get it done.

2021 CB Jaycee Horn

The South Carolina product is no longer just Joe Horn's son, as he has established himself as one of the top cover players in the game.

Horn was named to his first Pro Bowl last season, which was an honor that came from his peers since he was never in the top 10 in fan voting.

The Panthers also extended his contract this offseason, securing one of their leaders into the future, something they felt comfortable doing after seeing what he put into getting himself ready to play last season.

"I saw a guy that was just so focused on helping the team, on being out there, on making sure that his body was right," Panthers head coach Dave Canales said. "I wasn't around Jaycee before, but what I saw was just this professionalism, this way that he went about his week, his body readiness, his mental preparation, his film study, and all those habits.

"I just saw him give us something so solid and stable for other guys to see. This is how you achieve excellence, and I love the fact that he was recognized for it with the Pro Bowl and all that. But I thought that was inevitable if he could just be out there. But he brought that to us, so I thought that was really important for Jaycee to be somebody that people could look at."

Draft previews, by position

We've been looking at some of the possibilities at each position leading up to the draft. Here's a quick look at each position, from the Panthers perspective.

4/12 — Quarterbacks

And a look at Colorado's' Shedeur Sanders.

4/13 — Running backs

And a look at UNC's Omarion Hampton.

4/14 — Wide receivers

And a look at Arizona's big-play wideout Tet McMillan.

4/15 — Tight ends

And a look at Penn State's ultra-productive, old-school Tyler Warren.

4/16 — Interior offensive linemen

And a look at UNC's Willie Lampkin, whose size has some thinking about a new position for the road grader.

4/17 — Offensive tackles.

And a look at Missouri big man Armand Membou.

4/18 — Special teams

And a look at South Carolina's big leg and trick play passer, Kai Kroeger.

4/19 — Inside Linebacker

And a look at the Gamecocks fluid inside linebacker Demetrius Knight Jr.

4/20 — Cornerback

And a look at East Carolina cornerback Shavon Revel, who is proving himself yet again.

4/21 — Safeties

And a look at South Carolina draft darling, Nick Emmanwori.

4/22 — Defensive Line

And a look at Michigan's dominant big man, Mason Graham.

4/23 — Edge Rusher

And a look at Georgia's versatile star, Jalon Walker.

Pre-draft analysis video with PFF's Trevor Sikkema

We brought in Pro Football Focus' lead draft analyst Trevor Sikkema to take a look at a number of facets of the pre-draft process.

In the first episode, he broke down the consensus of the mock drafts, to help get a sense of who's in play for the Panthers at No. 8.

You can subscribe to our YouTube channel for all the latest.

In the second episode, he offered early, mid and late round pick options for the Panthers at edge.

In the third episode, he offered early, mid and late round pick options for the Panthers at corner.

And finally, Sikkema closed out the series by offering early, mid, and late round options at wide receiver.