4 biggest hints Panthers GM Dan Morgan dropped about the 19th pick in his pre-draft presser

On Tuesday morning, Carolina Panthers president of football operations and general manager Dan Morgan held court for one last time before the 2026 NFL Draft. But did he leave us with any worthwhile hints before next week's selection process?

Here are our four biggest takeaways from Morgan's pre-draft presser:

"All positions" are on the table

The Panthers set out to set themselves up for the draft through free agency—signing the likes of ascending pass rusher Jaelan Phillips, Pro Bowl inside linebacker Devin Lloyd and presumptive starting left tackle Rasheed Walker. And Morgan believes that work, which also included the returns of 14 of their own free agents, will allow them to pick the best available player in the first round.

"If anything, I think it opens us up to a lot of possibilities at Pick 19," Morgan replied when asked if those additions will narrow down their focus. "I think all positions are on the table. And like I said before, you never know who's gonna fall down to us.

"So I think we're definitely in the best-player-available mindset. So, yeah, I think what we did in free agency set us up to do that."

. . . and that includes wide receiver

Even after selecting a receiver in both of his first two first rounds at the helm, Morgan didn't discount a third.

"I think, with anything, we're gonna take the best player," Morgan said when asked about the possibility of using a third straight first-rounder on a receiver. "So if the the best player we feel is 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 receiver three years in a row. I'm not gonna box us in and say we're not gonna draft one."

The Panthers drafted Xavier Legette with the 32nd overall pick in 2024 and Tetairoa McMillan with the eighth overall pick in 2025.

Depth is also on the table

Two weeks ago at the NFL Annual League Meeting, head coach Dave Canales had stated that he isn't looking to draft depth with the 19th pick. Morgan, however, may slightly disagree.

"I understand what Coach is saying in terms of—obviously, you want your first-round pick to be able to come in and contribute immediately. So, yeah, I'm kinda with him on that," Morgan stated when asked of Canales' comments.

"You want your first-round pick to play, but there's different scenarios to where maybe it takes a guy a little longer to develop, and he may not contribute right away. With some of the picks at different positions, it may take a little longer for those guys to develop, for sure."

Those positions could include either offensive tackle spot—where the 2027 outlooks for Walker, Ikem Ekwonu and Taylor Moton aren't exactly solidified. Cornerback may also be a spot to add to with starter Mike Jackson entering the final year of his contract.

Second-guessing the favorite?

Oregon tight end Kenyon Sadiq has felt like the odds-on favorite at that 19th overall selection for quite some time. But Morgan made some intriguing comments on the current state of the team's tight end room that may have us second-guessing this potential pairing.

"I think we have some guys on our roster that are big targets," Morgan said. "In general, we have guys in our tight end room that we feel are good players and guys that have the skill set to be able to do that.

"Whether it's opportunity or whether guys are still developing, I think we have the pieces in that room to be able to do that."

Tommy Tremble led all Panthers tight ends with 249 receiving yards in 2025.

Carolina has not had a tight end record at least 500 receiving yards since 2019.

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This article originally appeared on Panthers Wire: 4 biggest takeaways from Panthers GM Dan Morgan's pre-draft presser