James R'S MOCK DRAFT
  1. Home
  2. Simulator

James R'S MOCK DRAFT
RUN ON APR 2, 2025

Panthers MD1

  • James R DRAFTING FOR THE
    Panthers
Draft Selections
Jalon Walker Head Shot
PICK: 8 RND: 1 (CAR)
Jalon Walker
LB Georgia
Xavier Watts Head Shot
PICK: 57 RND: 2 (CAR)
Xavier Watts
S Notre Dame
Isaiah Bond Head Shot
PICK: 74 RND: 3 (CAR)
Isaiah Bond
WR Texas
Tez Johnson Head Shot
PICK: 111 RND: 4 (CAR)
Tez Johnson
WR Oregon
Smael Mondon Jr. Head Shot
PICK: 114 RND: 4 (CAR)
Smael Mondon Jr.
LB Georgia
Antwaun Powell-Ryland Head Shot
PICK: 140 RND: 5 (CAR)
Antwaun Powell-Ryland
DL-EDGE Virginia Tech
Jason Marshall Jr. Head Shot
PICK: 146 RND: 5 (CAR)
Jason Marshall Jr.
CB Florida
Luke Lachey Head Shot
PICK: 163 RND: 5 (CAR)
Luke Lachey
TE Iowa
Zeek Biggers Head Shot
PICK: 230 RND: 7 (CAR)
Zeek Biggers
DT Georgia Tech
Draft Grade — Panthers
Overall B-
ValueC NeedB+ TradesB- FutureB-
The Panthers checked most of the boxes and earned a B-.

Somewhere a scout is still blinking. The Panthers spent No. 146 on Jason Marshall Jr., a name the board had a full 56 spots lower.

That offensive lineman hole did not close this weekend, and it was the biggest one on the wall. On value alone, Watts makes the weekend a net positive.

All told, a solid class that does its job everywhere but offensive lineman.

Pick Analysis
Pick8 Rnd1 Jalon Walker
In Round 1, Pick 8 they get a green-dot type in the middle, even if it was a touch early. It fills the loudest need on the roster.
Pick57 Rnd2 Xavier Watts
Xavier Watts at slot 57 is money in the bank, a safety taken below his worth. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
Pick74 Rnd3 Isaiah Bond
They took Isaiah Bond at par in No. 74, which is nothing to complain about. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
Pick111 Rnd4 Tez Johnson
They stopped a slide they were happy to see, landing Tez Johnson in pick No. 111. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
Pick114 Rnd4 Smael Mondon Jr.
A clean, defensible pick in the Round 4 slot with a little surplus value in Smael Mondon Jr.. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
Pick140 Rnd5 Antwaun Powell-Ryland
Antwaun Powell-Ryland at the 140th pick is a clear overpay, with better names still on the board. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
Pick146 Rnd5 Jason Marshall Jr.
Jason Marshall Jr. in slot 146 is a reach so steep the board needed a second look to believe it. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
Pick163 Rnd5 Luke Lachey
Value said wait; Luke Lachey in the Round 5 slot says they were not listening. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
Pick230 Rnd7 Zeek Biggers
They talked themselves into Zeek Biggers at the 230th overall pick, and the board did not agree. Useful body for a position without much behind the starter.