ESPN's last-minute mock draft yields stunning selection for the Panthers
ESPN's last-minute mock draft yields stunning selection for the Panthers
Could the Carolina Panthers send shockwaves through the NFL tonight? Well, according to one league insider, that might end up being the case.
ESPN's Field Yates turned in his final predictions for the first round of the 2025 NFL draft on early Thursday morning. And the Panthers, with the eighth overall pick in his mock, selected University of Missouri offensive tackle Armand Membou.
Yates writes:
I know defense is an issue in Carolina; the Panthers allowed an NFL-worst 31.4 points per game last season. But the offensive line could become a big problem very soon, and I think the Panthers could look that way. Taylor Moton and Ikem Ekwonu are entering the final years of their contracts (assuming Carolina does not pick up Ekwonu's fifth-year option), and Carolina has to improve Bryce Young's protection. Membou is a tone-setter who makes an impact in the run game and surrendered just one sack during the 2024 season.
After allowing the most points in NFL history, the Panthers have been expected to zero in on defense with their first-rounder. But could their current offensive tackle situation, specifically the one pertaining to Moton, steer them towards a hog molly instead?
Moton, who will turn 31 years old in August, is set to enter his ninth pro campaign. And as Yates noted, the 2025 season is the final one on the veteran's current contract.
That final season will see the Panthers take on a $31 million cap hit for Moton, the highest of any offensive tackle in the league. But instead of extending the former second-round pick for additional years and alleviating the pressure of that cap hit, Carolina has left the deal as is.
Does this suggest that we may be seeing the end of Moton's tenure in Carolina? Perhaps.
If it does, then Membou—whether it be very soon or beginning in 2026—could squeeze in at right tackle to fortify the Panthers' offensive trench for many years to come.
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