Biggest takeaways for the Panthers from the 2026 NFL Draft

But the Panthers have addressed the position over that time—signing the top free-agent left tackle Rasheed Walker to a one-year, $4 million agreement, then taking the draft's top true left tackle prospect in Monroe Freeling with the 19th overall pick.

Given those high-profile additions, it's probably safe to assume that Ekwonu won't be in the starting lineup to begin the regular season. That absence will be especially untimely since he's entering the fifth and final year of his rookie contract.

As for who will be on the blindside come Week 1, don't count out the new guy just yet. While Freeling could benefit from a little seasoning, as he's still a tad on the raw side, Walker's inexpensive deal from Carolina won't tie him to the job.

There might also be a world where the Panthers re-sign Ekwonu to pair him up with Freeling for 2027 and beyond. If that scenario exists, then that would likely spell the end of longtime right tackle Taylor Moton's tenure in Charlotte.

Legette on notice

Along with Ekwonu, the Panthers may have to make a huge decision on quarterback Bryce Young after the season. The former No. 1 overall pick will be entering his fifth-year option in 2027—so the time to make a long-term commitment, if they so choose, is coming up.

What'll make that decision easier is if Young is equipped with a fair amount of talent, giving the organization a clearer evaluation of his capabilities. And as of now, 2024 first-round pick Xavier Legette doesn't feel like a fair lifeline for Young.

Legette has struggled to find his footing in the NFL, pretty much literally. On top of his issues with ball security, the 25-year-old has yet to get down basic spacial awareness—failing, at times, to keep his feet inbounds and to steer clear from false start penalties.

On Friday night, the Panthers took University of Tennessee wideout Chris Brazzell II with the 83rd overall pick. The speedy first-team All-SEC selection is an exciting prospect, and could threaten to take away Legette's standing behind starters Tetairoa McMillan and Jalen Coker.

During the final stretch of the NFC South race last season, the Panthers gradually decreased Legette's usage. He went from a 73.7-percent snap share in Week 15, to 64.8 in Week 16, to 54.7 in Week 17 and then to 31.4 in Week 18.

What may work in Legette's advantage is that he and Brazzell are two different types of fast. The former is more of a give-and-go option, in the mold of a Deebo Samuel, while the latter is a Christian Watson-like field stretcher.

So there still may be role for Legette. He will, however, have to be wary of the footsteps of not only himself, but also of the new 6-foot-4 teammate who ran a 4.37-second 40-yard dash in Februrary.

Feeling good at TE?

Morgan, at his pre-draft presser two weeks ago, told reporters that he felt good about the current state of the tight end room. That sentiment contradicted the consensus on who the Panthers were targeting in this draft—with Oregon's Kenyon Sadiq and Georgia's Oscar Delp supposedly in the mix.

Well, Morgan seemingly wasn't kidding, as the Panthers came away with zero of the 22 tight ends who were drafted. Barring a late free-agent addition, they'll will likely be going into the campaign with the same bunch—Tommy Tremble, Ja'Tavion Sanders and Mitchell Evans.

Despite the uninspiring production the position has yielded in Carolina for quite some time, as they haven't had a 500-yard season at tight end since 2019 (Greg Olsen), the team may be confident in how they operate in the receiving game. The tight ends have not been a focal point of the aerial attack, and it may continue to trend that way—even with offensive coordinator Brad Idzik now calling plays.

Let the competition continue

As he's done since taking over the job, head coach Dave Canales has preached the importance of consistently adding competition throughout the depth chart—and they did exactly that this weekend.

The Panthers traded up slightly in the second round for Texas Tech defensive lineman Lee Hunter. The 6-foot-3, 318-pounder space eater should challenge Tershawn Wharton and Bobby Brown III for playing time.

Carolina also nabbed Kansas State center Sam Hecht down in the fifth round. Hecht, a first-team All-Big 12 member in 2025, could overtake free-agent signee Luke Fortner in the starting lineup this summer.

With last year's starters in defensive lineman A'Shawn Robison and center Cade Mays now elsewhere, the Panthers might've secured their long-term replacements with Hunter and Hecht.

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This article originally appeared on Panthers Wire: 2026 NFL Draft: Biggest takeaways for the Panthers