Howy21'S MOCK DRAFT
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Howy21'S MOCK DRAFT
RUN ON JAN 5, 2026

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  • Howy21 DRAFTING FOR THE
    Panthers
Draft Selections
R Mason Thomas Head Shot
PICK: 19 RND: 1 (CAR)
R Mason Thomas
DE-EDGE Oklahoma
Ja'Kobi Lane Head Shot
PICK: 51 RND: 2 (CAR)
Ja'Kobi Lane
WR USC
Keionte Scott Head Shot
PICK: 83 RND: 3 (CAR)
Keionte Scott
CB Miami
Malachi Lawrence Head Shot
PICK: 119 RND: 4 (CAR)
Malachi Lawrence
DE-EDGE UCF
Jacob Rodriguez Head Shot
PICK: 156 RND: 5 (CAR)
Jacob Rodriguez
LB Texas Tech
Iapani Laloulu Head Shot
PICK: 158 RND: 5 (CAR)
Iapani Laloulu
C Oregon
Gracen Halton Head Shot
PICK: 200 RND: 6 (CAR)
Gracen Halton
DL Oklahoma
Malik Hartford Head Shot
PICK: 235 RND: 7 (CAR)
Malik Hartford
S Ohio State
Draft Grade — Panthers
Overall B-
ValueC+ NeedB+ TradesB- FutureB-
Good, not great, for the Panthers: B-.

There is conviction, and then there is this. The Panthers took Malachi Lawrence a full 43 picks ahead of where the board had him, an overdraft steep enough that it colors the whole weekend. A dependable weekend that grades out a B-.

Leaving quarterback unaddressed is the roster risk they will have to answer for in the fall. However the rest shakes out, Scott at that price is a win they earned.

They left with wide receiver solved and the rest of the wish list mostly ticked off.

Add it up and it is a good, unfussy class.

Pick Analysis
Pick19 Rnd1 R Mason Thomas
In slot 19 they get a double-digit-sack hope, reach and all. Exactly the need they had to hit.
Pick51 Rnd2 Ja'Kobi Lane
Ja'Kobi Lane at Round 2, Pick 19 is a sensible buy, a touch better than market for the wide receiver. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
Pick83 Rnd3 Keionte Scott
They stopped a slide they were happy to see, landing Keionte Scott in the 83rd pick. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
Pick119 Rnd4 Malachi Lawrence
Malachi Lawrence at pick 119 is a steep price for a hunch, hard to square with any board. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
Pick156 Rnd5 Jacob Rodriguez
Jacob Rodriguez in the 156th overall pick is the kind of reach that only looks good if he outplays it. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
Pick158 Rnd5 Iapani Laloulu
They paid sticker price for Iapani Laloulu in No. 158, and that is fine. The roster fit checks out.
Pick200 Rnd6 Gracen Halton
Gracen Halton in pick 200 is fair value, right on his grade. Useful depth more than a marquee fix.
Pick235 Rnd7 Malik Hartford
Malik Hartford at No. 235 is neither steal nor reach, just the going rate. A need, and now a little less of one.