Panthers beat reporter believes team is eyeing these 2 draft prospects . . .
Panthers beat reporter believes team is eyeing these 2 draft prospects . . .
The Carolina Panthers seem fully intent on building up their defense this offseason.
Joe Person of The Athletic has offered up quite a few new nuggets regarding the team following their trip to the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine. And as far as the early favorites for their first-round pick go, Person thinks the Panthers could be eyeing a pair of top defenders—including University of Georgia linebacker Jalon Walker . . .
With pro days and top-30 visits still to come, I left Indy still thinking the Panthers would love to see Michigan defensive tackle Mason Graham fall to 8. But they also seem to like Walker a lot.
Graham, perhaps the second-best defensive prospect in this year's class, may be a pipe dream for Carolina with the eighth overall pick. Although president of football operations/general manager Dan Morgan would probably love to have the 296-pound wrecking ball help fortify a weak front, the 2023 national champion and 2024 unanimous All-American is likely to be selected before the Panthers hit the clock.
Walker, another national champ and All-American, feels like a more realistic option. The Salisbury, N.C. native, who played a bit of off-ball linebacker in Georgia, could line up primarily as a edge rusher at the pro level.
But however the board eventually unfolds, the Panthers might be lucky to have either after allowing the most points ever in a single season (534).
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