Braydenz'S MOCK DRAFT
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  • Braydenz DRAFTING FOR THE
    Panthers
Draft Selections
Jalon Walker Head Shot
PICK: 38 RND: 2 (CAR)
Jalon Walker
LB-EDGE Georgia
Dont'e Thornton Jr. Head Shot
PICK: 66 RND: 3 (CAR)
Dont'e Thornton Jr.
WR Tennessee
Cobee Bryant Head Shot
PICK: 102 RND: 4 (CAR)
Cobee Bryant
CB Kansas
LT Overton Head Shot
PICK: 142 RND: 5 (CAR)
LT Overton
DE-EDGE Alabama
Jared Wilson Head Shot
PICK: 146 RND: 5 (CAR)
Jared Wilson
C Georgia
Donovan Smith Head Shot
PICK: 216 RND: 7 (CAR)
Donovan Smith
QB Houston
Draft Picks Received
No Pick Head Shot
PICK: RND: 5 (ATL)
NEXT YEAR (2026)
 
No Pick Head Shot
PICK: RND: 7 (ATL)
NEXT YEAR (2026)
 
No Pick Head Shot
PICK: RND: 7 (HOU)
NEXT YEAR (2026)
 
Draft Picks Traded
Will Johnson Head Shot
PICK: 4 RND: 1 (IND)
Will Johnson
CB Michigan
Tyler Baron Head Shot
PICK: 178 RND: 6 (ATL)
Tyler Baron
DL-EDGE Miami
Elijhah Badger Head Shot
PICK: 234 RND: 7 (HOU)
Elijhah Badger
WR Florida
Draft Grade — Panthers
Overall D
ValueD NeedB+ TradesF FutureB-
The Panthers bled value on every deal, hence the D.

The Panthers treated their own grade as gospel and everyone else's as noise, spending pick No. 66 on Dont'e Thornton Jr. a full 113 spots early. Too much went sideways, and the D is the honest tally.

They handed away value on the phones that the picks cannot earn back. Smith falling to them is the kind of break a good board is built to catch.

The linebacker hole is the one line item this class does not answer.

Bottom line, they will need several of these picks to beat their grades just to break even, and linebacker is still a hole.

Pick Analysis
Pick38 Rnd2 Jalon Walker
No edge and no loss on Jalon Walker in No. 38; it is a wash and a sensible one. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
Pick66 Rnd3 Dont'e Thornton Jr.
They left a pile of value on the table to take Dont'e Thornton Jr. this early at the 66th pick. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
Pick102 Rnd4 Cobee Bryant
This one needs a full-page explanation: Cobee Bryant in pick 102, miles early. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
Pick142 Rnd5 LT Overton
LT Overton at slot 142 is a steep price for a hunch, hard to square with any board. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
Pick146 Rnd5 Jared Wilson
Value said wait; Jared Wilson in the Round 5 slot says they were not listening. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
Pick216 Rnd7 Donovan Smith
A quarterback of that caliber at Round 7, Pick 2 is the definition of value, full stop. The roster fit checks out.