4 biggest remaining needs for the Panthers following the 2026 NFL Draft

TL;DR

The Carolina Panthers received high praise for their 2026 NFL Draft performance, with eight out of 14 experts giving them an 'A' or higher. However, they still have four significant needs to address post-draft.

Key points

Carolina Panthers received high praise for 2026 NFL Draft
Eight out of 14 experts graded the draft haul at 'A' or higher
Four significant needs remain post-draft
Dan Morgan is the general manager of the Panthers
The team made seven picks during the draft

Mentioned in this story

Carolina PanthersDan Morgan

Carolina Panthers president of football operations and general manager Dan Morgan deserves a break following his front office's work from this past weekend. But he can't sit back for too long.

Morgan and company have been met with critical acclaim for their performance from the 2026 NFL Draft. Of the 14 experts we gauged following this year's selection process, eight of them graded the team's haul at an 'A' or higher.

Even still, the seven picks the Panthers made won't fill out every need.

Here are Carolina's four biggest remaining weaknesses following the draft . . .

Tight end

Despite being heavily linked to Oregon's Kenyon Sadiq and, to a lesser degree, Georgia's Oscar Delp—the Panthers came away with zero of the 22 tight ends who were selected. And perhaps that was somewhat by design, as Morgan told reporters prior to the draft that he felt good about the current state of the tight end room.

Nevertheless, the offense still doesn't have a certifiable receiving threat in that room. In fact, they haven't had one in this decade—with their last 500-yard receiver at the position coming in 2019.

While a respected leader, Tommy Tremble—who has one year remaining on his contract—has yet to prove he can be a consistent threat through the air. And although Ja'Tavion Sanders and Mitchell Evans have had some moments, the Panthers can't bank on either to suddenly fulfill that role.