Carolina Panthers 2026 pre-Draft mailbag: Trading back, QB scenarios, and more!

Q: What are the best and worst case scenarios for the Carolina Panthers in the 2026 NFL Draft?

The best case is acquiring an instant impact starter at 19, while the worst case involves making a costly trade up or trading back too far.

Q: Which teams could the Panthers trade with for a 2027 draft pick?

Potential trade partners include the Bills, Texans, 49ers, or Chiefs, as they may seek to move up for a player they believe can help immediately.

Q: How might the Panthers address their defensive weaknesses in the draft?

The Panthers are considering adding a safety or linebacker to improve their defense, particularly against attacks through the middle of the field.

Q: What is the Panthers' primary goal for the 2026 season regarding Bryce Young?

The primary goal is to evaluate if Bryce Young is worth an extension, which may influence their draft strategy and player selections.

Feb 28, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Penn State quarterback Drew Allar (QB02) during the NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images Hello CSR! Welcome to Brian Answers, part two of your weekly Panthers fan mailbag for everyone! As we hit the twilight of pre-draft speculation, most of the questions this week involved trades, and late round selections. Let’s dive right in to the final mailbag of DRAFT SZN! **KeepPounding88: What do you think is the best and worst case scenarios for us on draft day? Could be dependent on who falls, if we trade up or down, who we ultimately decide to draft, etc.** I think the best case scenario is someone like a safety, linebacker, or EDGE player falls far enough to them where the decision doesn’t need to be over thought, much like WR Tetairoa McMillan last draft season. Obviously, that situation was a bit easier picking at 8th overall compared to 19. Offensive line could certainly be in the mix too, but to me the best case scenario is getting an instant impact starter at 19. The worst case to me would be making either a bad trade up and giving up too much draft capital (1st rounder next season for example) for a team that isn’t already in contention for the NFC Championship, or trading back too far and missing out on an impact starter for 2026, when the team intends to try and be competitive. **@WTMealey: The “experts” say 2027 is a much better draft class. I know we are building on last years momentum, but do you think we make any trades that result in some 2027 draft picks? What if instead of trading up or down we flip 19 for a 2027 pick?** **Who are some draft pick needy teams you would be willing to take their 2027 pick hoping we land a much better player with their 2027 than our 2026 pick 19?** I have a very hard time banking on the next draft too much, but I would totally be okay getting some extra draft capital next year and trading back a few picks to do so. While the 2027 class might be “better”, that doesn’t mean the player the Panthers take by parlaying 19 for a 2027 pick will not be a bust. But, that’s the same logic you can apply to every draft pick in every class. Its hard to say what team would make a trade, its not as much about being “needy” as much as simply trading up to get a guy they think can help right now. My off the cuff picks would be the Bills, Texans, 49ers, or Chiefs. I personally don’t think is in position to punt on a first round pick in this Draft completely, since they are trying to be competitive but not entirely sell the farm to get to the Super Bowl in 2026. **Bruce Guild: One of the critical areas of need to improve our defense is how teams attack the middle of the field. Two players I would like to see in a Panther uniform in Thieneman or a 1st or 2nd round interior linebacker like JRod/Hill or Golday.** **Who do you think Brian would improve this glaring weakness from last year. Putting another outstanding LB next to Lloyd or a top ranked FS like Thieneman?** I think another safety certainly helps, if only because they can really devote Tre’Von Moehrig as the gadget pseudo-linebacker to the middle of the field and allow his responsibilities as a safety to be taken by a new safety or a combination of said new safety and . I want the Panthers to address both spots, and ideally with their first and second picks, but that’s not always how it goes. So to me, grab a safety at 19. See what happens the rest of the way. **RealityDan: Hey Brian, when it comes to the draft, I tend to think about the overall context the Carolina Panthers find themselves in. And I believe that the front office has one over-arching goal for this upcoming season. By over-arching, I mean more important than winning the division or reaching the playoffs again, more important than improving upon last year’s win/loss record, and more important than taking a big leap on the defensive side of the ball. That goal is to find out if is worth an extension at the end of the season; or in other words, if the Panthers org is going to move forward with him as the franchise quarterback, complete with the requisite big-money contract. Now I’m not saying that all of those other things aren’t important, I’m just trying to put a ranking onto their priorities. First, do you agree or disagree with this assessment? If you agree, how might this goal affect their first couple of pics? If you don’t agree, what else would you put at their #1 priority and how might that affect their draft selections? Thanks for your thoughts!** I think Carolina wants to be competitive and has basically tabled the long term assessment of Bryce Young. Adding a wide receiver, tight end, or offensive linemen will help Bryce, but it also doesn’t really change anything if they decide he’s not the guy at the conclusion of 2026. I think their goal is to continue to build this team in a healthy way, but they are leaving QB alone and letting that question figure itself out. I believe their number one priority is adding a high impact starter, regardless of what side of the ball its on. I don’t believe this theory precludes them from taking a tackle, since they didn’t exactly pay out a ton of money to as a fill in for . I think they consider Bryce Young’s development important, but I don’t think his performance one way or the other changes the long term goal of just making this a better, deeper football team. **dayneb12: If the Panthers find a few good rookie safeties, is there any chance gets cut?** No. **sgtx: What odds would you put on us being able to (or if we do) trade down out of our pick in the first round.** Everyone always wants to trade down, because you’re netting more picks since the team trading up is typically paying a premium to do so. I think it really depends on if Kenyon Sadiq or an offensive tackle makes it to their pick, because a trade down requires an asset another team wants to trade up for. And the problem is, Carolina could also probably use said asset. I’d say 25% chance. **SnarkyComet: I asked this one a few weeks ago, and god bless you, you took a swing at answering it, but I’m gonna need you to go back to the well again:** **?** I don’t buy into some of the theories that Pickett was brought in because he can’t truly compete for the starting job, or that it has something to do with keeping Bryce Young’s self esteem in tact. Pickett just strikes me as a guy Dave Canales reportedly liked when he was in the Draft himself, and he’s not overly expensive as a backup. Pickett also doesn’t stop them from taking a developmental QB in the late rounds if they really want to. They wanted to upgrade on , I’d say he was that. **schrodingersblackcat: Brian, is there anything Dan could do on draft night that would surprise you?** Trading up for S or LB would be really surprising, even if the trades make sense. **gsbshsb: Why does Mel Kiper keep having the Panthers selecting a box safety…AND as the first-round pick?** I will always respect Mel Kiper for formulating his own opinions and sticking with them, even if they have no basis in reality. **GooseCreek: Hi, Brian. With the discussions on the merits of a developmental QB this draft erupting on this post, do you think the Panthers should grab a QB in a later round, what round is the sweet spot for that selection and who do you like in that scenario?** **Continuing on this subject, I would be happy if the Panthers could bring in Drew Allar, QB, Penn State as a backup. He is noted for his intelligence and pre-game prep. If asked, I would describe him as a lite…Big, smart, strong armed, and mentally tough while being a little less hefty but a little more agile.** **What is your assessment of Allar as a Panther prospect?** I’ve been very down on the idea of selecting Drew Allar with a mid round pick, mainly because I don’t think he would be ready if Bryce Young struggles and the inevitable calls for him to start come from the fans in year one or two. I watched a fair bit of him with Penn State, and he reminds me of rookie year NFL with some of the head scratching throws and decisions he made. And that was in college! But I have come around on the idea somewhat of getting him with a 5th round pick or later, but I think an NFL team is going to like his measurables and draft him sooner. I personally don’t want to see a QB drafted any earlier than the 4th round, and even that makes me cringe a bit. Carolina has a lot of positions that could use depth, as I don’t think there’s any one position aside from maybe running back where drafting a prospect in the 3rd or 4th round wouldn’t help from a depth perspective, especially if they get the evaluation right. I’ll be happy to be wrong about Allar and will absolutely admit being wrong if it comes to fruition, but he’s a 5th round pick at best for me right now. That’s all for this week, Panthers fans! We are taking a break from the mailbag next week for NFL Draft coverage, so join us for all of that fun. KEEP POUNDING!