Dan Morgan has been in place as the Panthers’ general manager since 2024. During each of his first two drafts at the helm, Carolina has selected a receiver in the first round.
Xavier Legette has not developed as hoped at the NFL level, but Tetairoa McMillan certainly thrived during his debut season. The latter took home Offensive Rookie of the Year honors for his level of play in 2025, and he will be a core member of Carolina’s passing game for the foreseeable future. A third consecutive Day 1 investment at the WR position is nevertheless receiving consideration.
“We’re gonna take the best player,” Morgan said (via Joe Person of The Athletic). “So if the best player we feel is [a receiver] at 19, I wouldn’t hesitate to draft another wideout. I don’t think there’s a rule that says you can’t draft a wide receiver three years in a row. So, I’m not gonna box us in and say we’re not gonna draft one.”
The likes of Carnell Tate, Makai Lemon and Jordyn Tyson are likely to be off the board when Carolina is set to select. There will still be plenty of first-round options to consider, though. Denzel Boston, Omar Cooper Jr. and KC Concepcion are among the prospects who have visited Carolina during the pre-draft process. Some or each could be available for Morgan and Co. to pick. Boston’s size and skillset overlaps with McMillan’s, but Cooper and Concepcion represent intriguing complementary receivers to pair with him.
NFL Network’s Cameron Wolfe notes (video link) the Panthers are specifically targeting speed with their next rookie wideout. That comes as no surprise, given McMillan’s presence and Legette’s inability to establish himself as a regular on offense. Former undrafted free agent Jalen Coker is set to remain a key figure in 2026, but there is room to add another notable pass-catching presence as the Panthers look to build off their playoff appearance this past season.
That could of course include a receiver selection after Day 1 of the draft, and Wolfe names tight end Kenyon Sadiq as an option the Panthers will likely consider as well. The draft’s consensus TE1 winds up going to Carolina in Ely Allen’s PFR mock draft. Other roster spots could receive attention in the first round, but Morgan’s comments point to a willingness to continue investing heavily at the skill positions even after doing so in each of the past two years.
The new Det Lions!
Cooper or Concepcion would be a fun counterpart to McMillan. Heck, go Boston and you’d have two tall wideouts like no one in the league.
Coker has shown some promise, would really kill his progress if they take a WR early I believe