CHARLOTTE — With the season over, the Panthers can look ahead to the 2026 draft, and it'll be different than in some time.
After Saturday's loss to the Rams, the Panthers are locked into the 19th spot in next year's draft order.
That's the lowest they've chosen in the first round since 2018, when they took wide receiver DJ Moore with the 24th overall pick. (They used the 32nd overall pick in 2024 on wide receiver Xavier Legette, but they traded back into that spot in a year in which they began without a first-rounder.)
Other than that Legette pick, their first-rounders have all been top-10 picks since 2020.
Those picks have all become key parts of the team's foundation, as they turned into defensive tackle Derrick Brown (seventh overall in 2020) and cornerback Jaycee Horn (eighth in 2021), both of whom have already been extended. The others are left tackle Ikem Ekwonu (sixth in 2022), quarterback Bryce Young (first in 2023), and wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan (eighth in 2025).
As it stands now, the Panthers have seven total picks this year. They have their own selections in the first through sixth rounds, plus Minnesota's fifth-rounder.
Check out some of the best shots from the Panthers game against the Rams.
