2026 NFL Draft: Panthers GM Dan Morgan, staff going deep, 'getting to know guys'

2026 NFL Draft: Panthers GM Dan Morgan, staff going deep, 'getting to know guys' originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Carolina Panthers general manager Dan Morgan is taking his front-office personnel deeper into the 2026 NFL Draft process.

After spending hours evaluating game film and investigating the character of up to 600 prospects on his initial prospects list, Morgan continues to ask his staff to take the next step and form a business-friendly relationship with those who made the initial cuts.

The Panthers are preparing to bring in their Top 30 players to Bank of America Stadium for further evaluation - and camaraderie. The draft will be staged April 23-25 in Pittsburgh.

After getting to know the players from a distance, the Panthers' draft team aims to gauge whether a player could be a cultural fit, not just a schematic asset.

"I think really it's us getting to know guys," Morgan said during Tuesday's pre-draft press conference. "I feel like if you're going to miss on a guy, you're going to miss because you 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. I think all aspects of the player, we just want to know and get as much information as possible."

Panthers GM Dan Morgan seeks impactful picks

Opening with the No. 19 overall pick, Morgan said the Panthers' free-agent haul positioned him with the "best-player available mindset."

Last season, Morgan surprised many league insiders by drafting wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan with the No. 8 overall pick. McMillan revealed that he and quarterback Bryce Young bonded during football camps in California that summer.

McMillan said Young "sat on the table" for him. Morgan listened to the personal pitch the franchise quarterback presented. After leading all rookies in receiving yards, McMillan justified the decision by earning 2025 Rookie of the Year and Offensive Rookie of the Year honors.

During Top 30 visits, the prospects will get a tour of the facilities and meet coaches, scouts, athletic trainers, and members of the front office. It's all part of the personal-touch process.

"They're going to make a lot of contact around the building," Morgan said. "They're going to be of people that are going to interact with them during the day. We usually get together afterward and talk that through, and hey, what did you think of the guy?

"Is he going to be a fit in our building?"

Like McMillan.