Panthers' Top 2024 NFL Draft Targets

Unless the Carolina Panthers make a surprise trade up the draft board, they will be waiting quite a while to make their first draft pick.

They'll have to sit back and watch the Day 1 action unfold on Thursday before leading off on Friday when Round 2 kicks off on the second day of the draft.

The good news is that this is a draft where the early second-round picks are closely graded with those who will go in the late first. On our big board, the 32nd player has a grade of 7.6 while the 53rd player is at 7.4.

That's not a wide difference in evaluation but is more than half of a round worth of players.

So while it stings to watch the Chicago Bears have the No. 1 pick that the Panthers dubiously earned, they will have a chance to grab a talented player at No. 33 and will be on the clock again at No. 39.

Here's a look at three of the top targets they should be looking at with their current draft capital and roster situation.

Bryce Young needs help.

The Panthers put a lot on the 2023 No. 1 pick's shoulders when they traded away D.J. Moore and multiple first-round picks to take the Alabama passer. Moore was the team's No. 1 receiver and they left the rookie quarterback to play with a lackluster group of receivers and a shaky offensive line.

Carolina made on nice move when they traded for 28-year-old Diontae Johnson, but they still owe their quarterback more help.

The top of the second round is a good place to be for that, though. The receiver class is particularly deep and there's bound to be a receiver who can help that slides out of the first round.

The Panthers landed Roman Wilson in the three-round mock draft that the Bleacher Report Scouting Department put together in early April. There's a lot to like about that fit.

B/R scout Derrik Klassen gives a Tyler Lockett comparison for the Wolverine. His versatility as a route runner and a deep threat who can play as a Z or slot receiver would allow him to play multiple roles alongside Johnson, Adam Theilen and Jonathan Mingo.

Again, this is a deep wide receiver class. Marvin Harrison Jr., Rome Odunze and Malik Nabers might have All-Pro potential, but there are plenty of other prospects who could wind up being good second options in the right situation.

Jalen McMillan is one of those players.

He's been a bit overshadowed by Odunze and teammate Ja'Lynn Polk. The duo led the way for Washington this season while McMillan battled with a knee injury all season.

But it wasn't that long ago that McMillan was the second choice in the Washington offense. In 2022, McMillan led the team in catches (79) and had two more touchdowns (9) than Odunze while cracking 1,000 yards receiving.

McMillan isn't going to blow anyone away with his size or speed, but he is fast enough to threaten defenses deep and his educated route-running oftentimes leaves the quarterback with a big window to work with.

The Husky is a good blend of inside-outside versatility making him another good fit to work his way in with the talent that the Panthers already have in the receiving room.

The offensive line was a pain point for the Panthers last season too. However, they have made some good investments to fix it in free agency.

They added Robert Hunt and Damien Lewis to give them two veterans at each guard spot. There's reason to believe that Ikem Ekwonu and Taylor Moton will have bounceback campaigns with a new coaching staff in place.

The only spot that is still a major question mark is center. Austin Corbett only played four games due to injury last season but he still gave up four sacks in those games, per Sports Info Solutions.

Drafting Zach Frazier would be a good way to address it.

Frazier comes in at No. 26 on our big board, but he could slide due to the positional value of a center. For a team that's trying to help a second-year quarterback become successful, the pivot could take on added importance.

Frazier is a former four-time state champion high school wrestler who plays with excellent leverage. He could be the kind of steady presence who could anchor their offensive line for years to come.