The Carolina Panthers let the board play out in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft. That patience rewarded them with, perhaps, the best true left tackle prospect of the entire class in Georgia's Monroe Freeling at the 19th overall pick.
But if history is any indicator, they won't be staying put here on Friday.
Dan Morgan has made a total of four Day 2 picks in his two drafts as the president of football operations and general manager of the Panthers. And three of those four (Jonathon Brooks, Nic Scourton, Princely Umanmielen) were secured through trade-ups.
With Morgan and the Panthers sitting at the 51st overall pick for the second round, they may be primed to pounce yet again.
Here are four remaining prospects worth making a leap for . . .
After taking Freeling, the Panthers may look to add some beef to their other trench now. The release of starter A'Shawn Robinson and the lack of early returns on the 2025 signings of Tershawn Wharton and Bobby Brown III should make addressing the defensive line a priority.
McDonald was highly productive at Ohio State, where he tallied 65 tackles and 3.0 sacks this past season. He's a strong run defender, and can provide a little extra heat towards opposing pockets.
The 326-pound All-American could've very well been the first defensive lineman taken in this draft. That honor, however, went to Florida's Caleb Banks—who went 18th overall to the Minnesota Vikings.
Morgan did a fine job of addressing the inside linebacker position in free agency, signing Pro Bowler Devin Lloyd to a steal of a deal at three years and $42 million. But with the struggles and injury concerns of 2024 third-rounder Trevin Wallace, they could certainly use an upgrade at the other starting spot.
As a unanimous All-American, the reigning Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year and the recipient of just about every major linebacking award in 2025, Rodriguez comes into the NFL with one of the most impressive résumés of this class. Over his final two seasons at Texas Tech, he recorded a whopping 255 tackles, 6.0 sacks, five interceptions and 10 (yes, 10) forced fumbles.
According to ESPN senior NFL reporter Jeremy Fowler, the Panthers had done "extensive homework" on Rodriguez. If they plan on completing their assignment, they may have to jump the likes of the Cincinnati Bengals (No. 41), Tampa Bay Buccaneers (No. 46) and Indianapolis Colts (No. 47).
Given their lack of depth at cornerback and a need for a new starting slot defender, the Panthers could've been eyeing Terrell as a first-round target. But his stock took a hit at Clemson's pro day, where he aggravated a hamstring injury on his first run of the workout.
Nevertheless, the Atlanta, Ga. native and first-team All-ACC selection appears to be a seamless fit for what Carolina may want on the inside. Terrell is a fluid mover, has more-than-solid ball skills and can even kick to the outside if needed.
Colton Hood (Tennessee) and Brandon Cisse (South Carolina) are also corners to keep in mind for a trade-up scenario.
Before Thursday night, many believed that the Panthers would've sprinted to the podium if Oregon safety Dillon Thieneman was available to them. Well, he was . . . and it wasn't him they sprinted for.
Now, Carolina can address that spot with McNeil-Warren—perhaps the third-best safety prospect in the class. The lengthy and versatile defensive back could be yet another fine chess piece for coordinator Ejiro Evero—who already has Tre'von Moehrig and cornerbacks Jaycee Horn and Mike Jackson at his disposal.
McNeil-Warren is reportedly expected to go early tonight, so the Panthers would probably have to squeeze in somewhere at the top of the board to nab him.
Follow @ThePanthersWire on Twitter/X for more Panthers content.
This article originally appeared on Panthers Wire: 2026 NFL Draft: Day 2 prospects the Panthers should trade up for