The 2026 NFL Draft finished just in time so that it didn’t step on the toes of all the 2027 mock drafts that were published yesterday. Of course, just because the draft finished doesn’t mean that we’ve finished learning all of the lessons that can be gleaned from general manager Dan Morgan’s third draft for the Carolina Panthers. He has exhibited three traits thus far that, for better or worse, have guided his drafts. Two of them could also guide our mock drafts:
He values using premium resources on premium positions. Expect top 100 picks to be spent on players at positions that could warrant expensive second contracts.
He values the kinds of players that fit his coaches. That is tall, physical wide receivers, tall, physical corners, strong safeties, and not tight ends, to name a few.
He is happy to move around on Days 2 and 3 to get his guys.
The last point is true, but not the most relevant to the mountain of first round mocks we’ll be seeing between now and next April. The first two, however, have been largely ignored in the first round of 2027 mocks that I have seen.
“One of the things that really stands out about the 2027 class is both its incredible strength at QB and WR, but also an astonishing lack of depth on the offensive line. There isn’t a single interior offensive lineman worth of a first round pick, and that could change a lot — but right now this is not looking like a good draft to need line help. Similarly it’s weak on the edge compared to 2026”
If I had a digestible hat I’d offer to eat it if the Panthers spend a first round pick on a safety. I will take a moment, though to thank James for the faith that the Panthers can repeat as NFC South champions.
Like Dillon Thieneman before him, Perich does represent an attractive addition to the Panthers defense. He is a rangy, instinctive, and athletic safety who has excelled in the past (though not yet played a down of football for Oregon) as a single high safety who can cover and tackle. Assuming he meets the elevated level of competition at Oregon, he sounds like a home run first round pick for some lucky team.
Unfortunately, Perich does not do his best work in the box and safeties aren’t that expensive in the current landscape of the NFL. He fails to align with Ejiro Evero’s ideal player and he fails to provide sufficient value to take him over equivalent talents at other positions.
It’s not impossible he ends up a Panthers. Hats have been eaten before. He just doesn’t fit the Panthers known strategies. That said, do expect a successful season on Perich’s part to see him mocked to the Panthers about as frequently as Thieneman was this last year—including by the Panthers faithful who are guilty of nothing more than wanting to take a huge step up from our dear friend, Nick Scott.
“An imposing matchup at 6-6 and 276 pounds, he’s already got a nifty spin move at his disposal and could add more tricks to his arsenal.”
Rhodes ticks the boxes of being a type fit for Evero and a player at a premium position for Morgan. The value and interest could be there. At some point the Panthers will have to spend another first round pick on defense, the only caveat to that being “once their quarterback situation is settled.”
Some fans are looking at 2026 as Bryce Young’s make or break year. Some fans saw that as 2024 or 2025. For better or worse, the Panthers haven’t made plans to have a different quarterback this season, so he gets another shot to live up to his draft billing. Expect their relative position in mock drafts and the type of player being taken to vary wildly and quickly if Young’s fortunes are anything but looking up next season.
Find me something less appetizing than a hat. I’ll offer to eat that with enough regret and ketchup if the Panthers draft a tight end in the first round and actually play him as one. Dave Canales has never in his brief career highlighted a tight end in his offense and I don’t expect that to change soon. It’s not that they won’t get targets, it’s just that they won’t get enough targets to justify spending a first round pick on anything less than Greg Olsen and Jerry Rice’s extremely confused son.
Green could be an exceptional talent, but he is highly unlikely to tick any of the Panthers draft boxes. His best utility for Carolina is as some other team’s pick, causing a desired lineman, edge, cornerback, wide receiver, or quarterback to fall an extra spot towards the Panthers.
Since the Panthers had the best value draft in the NFL according to this consensus big board this year, let’s grade these drafts compared to the current 2027 consensus. Take this evaluation with the largest single grain of salt to ever by mined. These picks will change a dozen times over and I’d be shocked to see more than half of the top 32 names on this board remain in the top 32 by March of next year.
This is as much for posterity, for us to look back at and laugh when the Panthers draft one of these guys in the fourth round or they all go in the top ten picks.
23. Quincy Rhodes — taken 15th overall by USA Today (-8)
24. Trey’Dez Green — taken 9th overall by CBS Sports (-15)
36. Koi Perich — taken 20th overall by SB Nation (-16)