The Carolina Panthers are looking to build on last season’s NFC South title and playoff appearance. With the 2026 NFL draft just over a week away, Panthers general manager Dan Morgan spoke about his process and approach toward the draft, which has been molded by his years as both a player and a scout.
“I think really it’s us getting to know guys,” Morgan said, via the Panthers’ official website. “I feel like if you’re going to miss on a guy, you’re going to miss because you don’t know what he’s about from a personal character standpoint, and you don’t know what he’s about from a football standpoint.
“So we want to find out as much as we can about these guys as possible, understand how passionate they are, what they like to do away from the game, how they spend their time away from the facility. So I think all aspects of the player, we just want to know, and get as much information as possible.”
Carolina drafted Tetairoa McMillan with the eighth overall pick in 2025 and Xavier Legette with the 32nd pick in 2024, but that doesn’t mean Morgan and the Pantheres won’t entertain the idea of taking another wide receiver in the first round to pair with quarterback Bryce Young.
“I think with anything, we’re going to take the best player. So if the best player we feel is that 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.”
As for Young, while the Panthers have yet to officially pick up his fifth-year option, Morgan said that the franchise plans on handling the situation soon.
“Yeah, once the draft’s over, we’ll definitely get that going,” he said.
“Obviously, the players are not in the building yet, so once Bryce gets in the building, we’re busy with the draft, it’s offseason, so we’ll get that done as soon as he gets back.”
About Qwame Skinner
Qwame Skinner has loved both writing and sports his entire life. In addition to his sports coverage at Comeback Media, Qwame writes novels, and his debut; The First Casualty, an adult fantasy, is out now.