Report: Panthers eyeing another 1st-round playmaker for QB Bryce Young

The Carolina Panthers may want to equip their quarterback with as much as they possibly can.

On Thursday morning, ESPN draft insiders Jordan Reid and Matt Miller offered up their latest news and notes just ahead of this month's selection process. When covering the Panthers, Reid noted the following possibility for the team's Day 1 pick:

Adding another playmaker for Young is viewed as essential when speaking to sources close to the Panthers. It is certainly possible that they draft a receiver in Round 1 for a third consecutive year.

2024 saw the Panthers go local at the position, trading up into the 32nd overall selection to grab University of South Carolina's Xavier Legette. That move didn't deter them from taking University of Arizona's Tetairoa McMillan with eighth overall pick in 2025.

The results have differed on both wideouts, at least thus far. McMillan just captured the franchise's first AP Offensive Rookie of the Year award since 2011 while Legette has struggled to establish himself—leaving the door open for another high investment on a receiver.

Carolina, who may want to see a little more out of quarterback Bryce Young before handing him a contract extension, is currently slated to pick from the 19th overall spot in the 2026 draft.

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This article originally appeared on Panthers Wire: 2026 NFL Draft: Panthers reportedly eye playmaker for QB Bryce Young