The NFL Draft begins today, and all 32 teams are narrowing their boards for who to take in the first round.
Quarterback Cam Ward is expected to be the first overall pick to the Tennessee Titans. After that? It’s mostly a guessing game and an insider’s chess match of whose source is better.
The Carolina Panthers will make its first selection at No. 8 overall. After going 5-12 last season, the Panthers have a plethora of holes to fill ahead of next season.
With that in mind, here are three players the Panthers could select in the first round.
Mason Graham, DT, Michigan
Mason Graham was a dominant force at Michigan, earning two first-team All-Big Ten nods and a Unanimous All-American in 2024. He started 27 games in his college career, totaling 108 tackles, 18 tackles for loss, and nine sacks.
The Panthers were dead last in rushing yards allowed in 2024, giving up 179.8 yards per game. The next closest were the New Orleans Saints at 141.4.
To be fair, the Panthers were without Derrick Brown for nearly all of last season. But taking Graham, one of the best prospects in this class, will boost the defensive interior.
Jalon Walker, LB, Georgia
Speaking of the defensive line, the Panthers were also one of the worst pass-rushing defenses in the league last year. Carolina finished T-30th in sacks with 32 with no one recording more than 5.5 sacks in 2024.
Jalon Walker was a first-team All-American in 2024 at Georgia, racking up 61 tackles and 6.5 sacks. Walker was foundational in Georgia’s defensive dominance the past three seasons and can play edge or off-ball linebacker.
It also helps that Walker is from the Charlotte metropolitan area, as he attended Salisbury High School.
Whether Graham has been taken or not, Walker is a safer play that can make a meaningful impact right away.
FILE – Georgia linebacker Jalon Walker (11) celebrates his sacking of TCU quarterback Max Duggan during the second half of the national championship NCAA College Football Playoff game, Jan. 9, 2023, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill, File)
Armand Membou, OT, Missouri
While taking an offensive tackle at No. 8 may shock some fans, it’s still in the realm of possibility.
Ikem Ekwonu, entering his fourth year in Carolina, allowed seven sacks and 39 total pressures in 2024, according to Pro Football Focus. Carolina still has a decision to make this offseason on whether to pick up his fifth-year option.
Taylor Moton, meanwhile, turns 31 in August and is entering the final year of his contract. Additionally, Moton could be contemplating retiring from football, citing knee issues, according to Underdog’s Josh Norris.
This makes for an interesting predicament for the Panthers, who will do whatever it takes to protect quarterback Bryce Young.
Armand Membou started at right tackle the past two years at Missouri and made the second-team All-SEC team in 2024. He dominated in the SEC against elite talent, allowing zero sacks on 411 pass-blocking snaps last season, according to PFF.
