F'S MOCK DRAFT

1

  • F DRAFTING FOR THE
    Panthers
Draft Selections
Tyler Warren Head Shot
PICK: 25 RND: 1 (CAR)
Tyler Warren
TE Penn State
Malaki Starks Head Shot
PICK: 57 RND: 2 (CAR)
Malaki Starks
S Georgia
Demetrius Knight Jr. Head Shot
PICK: 74 RND: 3 (CAR)
Demetrius Knight Jr.
LB South Carolina
Jaylin Noel Head Shot
PICK: 110 RND: 4 (CAR)
Jaylin Noel
WR Iowa State
Ozzy Trapilo Head Shot
PICK: 113 RND: 4 (CAR)
Ozzy Trapilo
OT Boston College
Jordan Phillips Head Shot
PICK: 127 RND: 4 (CAR)
Jordan Phillips
DT Maryland
Kalel Mullings Head Shot
PICK: 141 RND: 5 (CAR)
Kalel Mullings
RB Michigan
O'Donnell Fortune Head Shot
PICK: 147 RND: 5 (CAR)
O'Donnell Fortune
CB South Carolina
Jay Higgins Head Shot
PICK: 164 RND: 5 (CAR)
Jay Higgins
LB Iowa
Kobe King Head Shot
PICK: 167 RND: 5 (CAR)
Kobe King
LB Penn State
R.J. Mickens Head Shot
PICK: 229 RND: 7 (CAR)
R.J. Mickens
S Clemson
Draft Picks Received
Tyler Warren Head Shot
PICK: 25 RND: 1 (HOU)
Tyler Warren
TE Penn State
Jordan Phillips Head Shot
PICK: 127 RND: 4 (HOU)
Jordan Phillips
DT Maryland
Kobe King Head Shot
PICK: 167 RND: 5 (HOU)
Kobe King
LB Penn State
No Pick Head Shot
PICK: RND: 1 (HOU)
NEXT YEAR (2026)
 
No Pick Head Shot
PICK: RND: 2 (HOU)
NEXT YEAR (2026)
 
Draft Picks Traded
James Pearce Jr. Head Shot
PICK: 8 RND: 1 (HOU)
James Pearce Jr.
DE-EDGE Tennessee
Players Gained
Head Shot
Juice Scruggs
C
Draft Grade — Panthers
Overall A-
ValueA- NeedB TradesA FutureA+
Grand theft in slot 57: the Panthers steal Starks and grade out a A-.

The best pick of the weekend was also the simplest. The Panthers watched Malaki Starks slide 31 picks past his grade and did not hesitate. It holds up to a second look, which is why it earns the A-.

They covered a lot of ground and still skipped edge rusher, which is a strange place to end up. The Juice Scruggs deal gives the class an established piece to lean on.

The dealing nudged the ledger their way without much fuss. The hoard sets up next April more than it helps this September.

Add it up and few war rooms did better this weekend, Tyler Warren and all.

Pick Analysis
Pick25 Rnd1 Tyler Warren
In No. 25 they get a moveable chess piece at tight end at a price that makes it sweeter. A clean fit for the roster.
Pick57 Rnd2 Malaki Starks
They robbed the room for Malaki Starks here, a fall nobody at the table saw coming. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
Pick74 Rnd3 Demetrius Knight Jr.
Demetrius Knight Jr. slid further than he should have, and pick No. 74 is lovely value for the linebacker. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
Pick110 Rnd4 Jaylin Noel
Nice patience on Jaylin Noel, who had no business lasting to pick 110. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
Pick113 Rnd4 Ozzy Trapilo
The board fumbled Ozzy Trapilo all the way to the Round 4 slot, and they scooped it up. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
Pick127 Rnd4 Jordan Phillips
Circle this one: Jordan Phillips at Round 4, Pick 26 is a fall that decides a draft. A minor need, but a need all the same.
Pick141 Rnd5 Kalel Mullings
A running back of that caliber at the 141st overall pick is the definition of value, full stop. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
Pick147 Rnd5 O'Donnell Fortune
O'Donnell Fortune in slot 147 should not have been possible, and that is the whole point. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
Pick164 Rnd5 Jay Higgins
Jay Higgins in slot 164 is the kind of fall that makes a whole class. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
Pick167 Rnd5 Kobe King
Taking Kobe King in the 167th overall pick is close to grand larceny; a linebacker that good had no business lasting this long. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
Pick229 Rnd7 R.J. Mickens
A quiet steal in pick 229: R.J. Mickens for less than the market said. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.