SD'S MOCK DRAFT
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  • SD DRAFTING FOR THE
    Panthers
Draft Selections
Luther Burden III Head Shot
PICK: 25 RND: 1 (CAR)
Luther Burden III
WR Missouri
Tate Ratledge Head Shot
PICK: 50 RND: 2 (CAR)
Tate Ratledge
OG Georgia
Harold Fannin Jr. Head Shot
PICK: 62 RND: 2 (CAR)
Harold Fannin Jr.
TE Bowling Green
Kurtis Rourke Head Shot
PICK: 72 RND: 3 (CAR)
Kurtis Rourke
QB Indiana
David Walker Head Shot
PICK: 108 RND: 4 (CAR)
David Walker
LB-EDGE Central Arkansas
Aeneas Peebles Head Shot
PICK: 113 RND: 4 (CAR)
Aeneas Peebles
DL Virginia Tech
Deontae Lawson Head Shot
PICK: 139 RND: 5 (CAR)
Deontae Lawson
LB Alabama
Jake Majors Head Shot
PICK: 143 RND: 5 (CAR)
Jake Majors
C Texas
Chandler Rivers Head Shot
PICK: 155 RND: 5 (CAR)
Chandler Rivers
CB Duke
Zane Durant Head Shot
PICK: 156 RND: 5 (CAR)
Zane Durant
DT Penn State
Tosh Baker Head Shot
PICK: 160 RND: 5 (CAR)
Tosh Baker
OT Notre Dame
Tyreak Sapp Head Shot
PICK: 165 RND: 5 (CAR)
Tyreak Sapp
DE-EDGE Florida
Jay Higgins Head Shot
PICK: 220 RND: 7 (CAR)
Jay Higgins
LB Iowa
Michael Taaffe Head Shot
PICK: 229 RND: 7 (CAR)
Michael Taaffe
S Texas
Draft Picks Received
Luther Burden III Head Shot
PICK: 25 RND: 1 (HOU)
Luther Burden III
WR Missouri
Harold Fannin Jr. Head Shot
PICK: 62 RND: 2 (PHI)
Harold Fannin Jr.
TE Bowling Green
Zane Durant Head Shot
PICK: 156 RND: 5 (PHI)
Zane Durant
DT Penn State
Tosh Baker Head Shot
PICK: 160 RND: 5 (PHI)
Tosh Baker
OT Notre Dame
Tyreak Sapp Head Shot
PICK: 165 RND: 5 (PHI)
Tyreak Sapp
DE-EDGE Florida
No Pick Head Shot
PICK: RND: 1 (HOU)
NEXT YEAR (2026)
 
No Pick Head Shot
PICK: RND: 2 (HOU)
NEXT YEAR (2026)
 
No Pick Head Shot
PICK: RND: 5 (PHI)
NEXT YEAR (2026)
 
Draft Picks Traded
Kelvin Banks Jr. Head Shot
PICK: 4 RND: 1 (HOU)
Kelvin Banks Jr.
OT Texas
Players Gained
Head Shot
Stefon Diggs
WR
Draft Grade — Panthers
Overall A-
ValueB- NeedB TradesA+ FutureA+
The Panthers fleeced the room on the phones and earned a A-.

The Panthers put a flag in the ground for Tyreak Sapp, 117 picks before anyone else would have, and the value took the hit. It holds up to a second look, which is why it earns the A-.

That Higgins pick is the receipt they will wave around later. They robbed the room blind at the table, and it lifts the grade on its own. They will regret leaving running back for another day if the season turns on it.

They went 8 of 9 on their needs, which is most of what a draft is for.

The kind of weekend a front office frames and hangs on the wall.

Pick Analysis
Pick25 Rnd1 Luther Burden III
In slot 25 they get a weapon on the perimeter. The biggest hole, addressed.
Pick50 Rnd2 Tate Ratledge
A quiet steal in the 50th overall pick: Tate Ratledge for less than the market said. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
Pick62 Rnd2 Harold Fannin Jr.
Circle this one: Harold Fannin Jr. at Round 2, Pick 30 is a fall that decides a draft. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
Pick72 Rnd3 Kurtis Rourke
They reached into another round for Kurtis Rourke, and the board is nowhere close to agreeing. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
Pick108 Rnd4 David Walker
The board screamed and they did not listen, reaching into the next round for David Walker. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
Pick113 Rnd4 Aeneas Peebles
Aeneas Peebles at the Round 4 slot is daylight robbery; nobody expected him to last. Useful body for a position without much behind the starter.
Pick139 Rnd5 Deontae Lawson
A top-tier linebacker at a bargain, Deontae Lawson in the 139th pick, plain and simple. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
Pick143 Rnd5 Jake Majors
Steal is underselling it; Jake Majors at pick 143 is a heist with the alarm still ringing. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
Pick155 Rnd5 Chandler Rivers
Chandler Rivers at No. 155 is the kind of overdraft that needs everything to break right. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
Pick156 Rnd5 Zane Durant
They reached a country mile for Zane Durant at slot 156, and the board is aghast. Stacking talent where they were already deep.
Pick160 Rnd5 Tosh Baker
They left a pile of value on the table to take Tosh Baker this early at the Round 5 slot. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
Pick165 Rnd5 Tyreak Sapp
A swing that ignored the value entirely, Tyreak Sapp well ahead of where he belonged. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
Pick220 Rnd7 Jay Higgins
Taking Jay Higgins in the 220th overall pick is close to grand larceny; a linebacker that good had no business lasting this long. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
Pick229 Rnd7 Michael Taaffe
Somehow Michael Taaffe was still sitting there in pick No. 229, and they pounced on premier safety value. A need, and now a little less of one.