CHARLOTTE — The Panthers have wrapped up their 2026 NFL draft class, adding seven new faces to the locker room. The rookie class will arrive in the Queen City in a couple of weeks for rookie minicamp, during which time Panthers' fans will get to know these new additions much better.

But those who already know them best are the regional scouts who have been assembling draft reports on every prospect over the last year. Four of those scouts met with reporters on Saturday as the draft was winding down to discuss a few of their prospects.

From new additions in the trenches, a receiver's unheralded skill set, and more, here are five takeaways.

Hunter's size immediately stood out

Lee Hunter is a mountain in the middle of the defensive line. He clocks in at 6-3, 318 pounds, and shadows over offensive linemen. The first time Caden McCloughan, the Panthers Southwest scout, met Hunter in person, he started dreaming of what could be in Carolina.

"I'll tell you what, when you see Lee, the first thing that stands out is just how big he is," McCloughan said Saturday.

"I mean, he's a massive human being and, yeah, I mean, you get up on him, and it's hard not to think about what that would look like next to Derrick Brown and Bobby Brown III."

When scouts visit schools, they often already have a good idea of what a player shows on tape. Meeting face-to-face provides an opportunity to get to know the person. As McCloughan spent more time with Hunter, the person became just as important to the Panthers as the player.

"The more you get to watch him and then be around him, talk to people in the school—I had a lot of chances to interact with him and others that were close to him and just, I remember being excited after every one of those, just how people talked about him, how great of a guy he is, how much energy he brings, just a guy that truly loves football," shared McCloughan.

"It's hard to find guys that look like that physically, but then at the same time, have the makeup that he does, just being a great teammate, showing up to work, excited every day, caring about others."

Brazzell's underrated traits

Wide receiver Chris Brazzell II possesses many skills that immediately stand out. He's huge at 6-4, 198 pounds. He pulled in 62 receptions for 1,017 yards this past season at Tennessee, and an SEC-leading nine receiving touchdowns. He's fast (he ran a 4.37 at the combine), long, and is a jump-ball magician.

"The speed is what jumps out to you right away," noted Jordan Trgovac, the Panthers Mid-Atlantic scout. "It's the size, but also it's the combination of the speed, size, and body control that he shows you all over the field.

"I mean, it's not just that he can take the top off and be a vertical threat. It's that when he's down deep, he's a guy that Bryce can throw up to. He's got that large catch radius."

But Trgovac also noted a couple of other things about the Vols' product that don't always show up on a box score.

One, his route tree.

"What's underrated about him is his route running," said Trgovac.

"Being a taller, more linear guy, it's very impressive how, at the top of his route, he can sink his weight and come back to the ball.

"So he's a guy that not only opens up the field vertically, but he's a guy that can open up the field underneath with that route running, being able to separate, and then again, coming across the middle if you need to use him as a possession guy. He's just an enormous long target that we can use when we want to move the chains a little bit."

Two, his bloodlines.

Brazzell's father, Chris Brazzell, spent two years with the Dallas Cowboys and seven years in the CFL. His background meant the younger Chris received exclusive training from his dad his whole life. That's the kind of impact that makes a difference.

"I think those guys, whenever you have guys like that, I mean, as we've seen with Jaycee Horn, those players, they grow up around it," explained Trgovac.

"So they've been in an NFL locker room. They know how to prepare. They know what to expect from a younger age. So, like anything, if you're around something a little bit more than maybe someone else, you're just used to it, and you get to see it from all angles.

A high ceiling for Monroe Freeling

The Panthers knew they were drafting for the future when it came to Monroe Freeling. For the scout who spent the past year watching Freeling up close and getting to know him, that future is limitless.

Corey Fuller, the Panthers Southeast scout, co-signed Kirby Smart's assessment that Freeling could easily play in the league for 10-15 years.

"I mean, you look at his resume. I think he's still only 21 years old," Fuller noted. "It's three years at Georgia. Look at the growth he made from when he first took over as a starter to his last game at Georgia.

"And there's still so much more potential and upside that he has to go. Who knows how good this guy's going to be? You can definitely see he's going to have a very long future in this league."

While there's so much skill and talent that make Freeling an exciting pick, the attitude he brought to every encounter is really what stood out to Fuller.

"Just his love for the game, it jumps off when you talk to him. He's sitting up, he's talking, he's jittery, he's bouncing. So the love for the game jumps out immediately," said Fuller.

At Georgia, Smart infamously stays on a megaphone every practice, calling out any and all mess-ups. Freeling was the recipient of plenty of megaphone callouts, as he jokingly but painfully recalled on Friday. But Fuller never saw him flinch.

"Coming from a program like Georgia, obviously the tough, the grittiness, all of that—I've watched this kid get coached hard at multiple practices that I've been there the last two years," said Fuller. "Doesn't faze him. He's always up and ready for the next rep. Just stand-up kid."

Hecht's traits beyond size

The Panthers' newest center, Sam Hecht, was one of the top-rated centers coming into the 2025 NFL draft thanks to his long, productive, and protective career at Kansas State.

He clocks in at 6-4, 303 pounds, a number some consider slightly under average for NFL centers. But it's just one detail of an intriguing player, according to McCloughan.

"He's never been just the biggest guy, so I think he's always always had to really work on his technique and really be good with his hands, angles, and I think the athletic ability he has too helps a lot," he continued.

"He moves really well laterally. He can get up to the second level, he plays well in space. So I think the movement skills combined with just his smarts—that dude is as smart as they come.

"So just his ability to see things, to anticipate when the picture changes, he's never stressed or looking out of sorts. He always knows where to go. So I just think at the end of the day, the combination of the flexibility, the technique, and being so good with his hands and angles and just his smarts, that makes him the player he is."

Wheatley offers lots of versatility

When Zakee Wheatley met with local Charlotte media on Saturday, he made sure to point out his versatility. During his 2025 season at Penn State, the Panthers' fifth-rounder played 316 snaps deep, 253 snaps in the box, and even slid into the slot for 84 snaps.

When Kaleb Leach, the Panthers Northeast scout, broke down Wheatley's game, he backed up the versatile skill set.

"Zakee is a guy who can go back and play in the post. He has great ball skills and range, and he sees it like no one else," explained Leach.

"He's just very reactive, instinctual, as I mentioned before, but he also can come down in that box and really go hit somebody like Lathan Ransom and Tre'von Moehrig as well. So he can fit into a number of ways that we already play with on defense, and he can play in the slot.

"I do believe this is an athlete we're very excited to get, and Coach Canales and Dan Morgan had a great vision to see where he can be on our team, and yeah, like I said, arrows up for this dude."

Beyond the coverage skills (Wheatley allowed the fewest yards in coverage in college football last season with 36 total), Leach saw a locker room addition that fit the culture Morgan has been looking for in Carolina.

"He loves the game of football, and he plays it the right way," said Leach. "He's one of them ones, as the kids would say. This guy will go down; he'll put his face on somebody. He has elite ball skills. He sees the game before everybody else, and he's so reactive and instinctual, it's special.

"He has a presence to him when he's on the field and in the meeting room that you're like, man, I don't know exactly who you are yet, but I want to know more. So I'm glad we got him."