After a surprising drive to the top of the NFC South last season, the Panthers keep building up their defense with a rising interior talent. Carolina must do a better job against the run, and McDonald helps in that effort.

General manager Dan Morgan has made no bones about the Panthers' need to improve their pass rush after finishing at or near the bottom of the league in sacks the past three seasons. Mesidor had huge production as a super senior for Morgan's alma mater and was a disruptive force during the College Football Playoff. But the Ontario native is 25, and I immediately experienced buyer's remorse after making this pick because of the age concerns. Georgia linebacker CJ Allen and Auburn edge rusher Keldric Faulk quickly went off the board after the Panthers picked. I got a little scared off by Faulk's drop in production last season, but the 6-6, 270-pounder has impressive traits and a ton of upside. I'll consider this my warm-up mock and will probably look to go younger in the next one.

Tetairoa McMillan was a hit for the Panthers last year, but they could use a complement for him in the offense, and KC Concepcion feels like a good fit alongside him. He's not huge, but he plays bigger than his size. He reminds me a bit of former Panthers WR Steve Smith.

Carolina had to do some recalibrating this year. Their draft slot has been of the top 10 variety every year since 2019 (though their original No. 1 pick in 2024 belonged to Chicago, and Carolina traded back into Round 1 that year at No. 32). After a surprising run to the NFC South title and a little bit of a Bryce Young breakout, the Panthers might be on the upward trend.

The team's first two picks were good prospects and in line value-wise, but I didn't consider either position as a big need. Carolina added Monroe Freeling to a pretty good group of tackles in Ikem Ekwonu, Taylor Moton and Rasheed Walker. Freeling hasn't quite developed his run blocking yet (he has only 18 career starts and is 21 years old), but he's really good in pass protection. I love his 34他-inch arms and alertness on stunts. And Lee Hunter is an incredible run defender, with 52 run stops over the past three seasons. The team has Derrick Brown, Tershawn Wharton and Bobby Brown III there, so D-coordinator Ejiro Evero has some depth at hand.

The Panthers checked a box in Round 3 with Chris Brazzell II, who will team with Tetairoa McMillan and Jalen Coker at receiver. Despite being 6-foot-4, he is explosive and ran a 4.37-second 40-yard dash at the combine. I would have liked to see a tight end, but Brazzell will contribute in similar ways in the red zone.

One of the players Carolina passed on in Round 1 was Dillon Thieneman, and the Panthers ended up with Zakee Wheatley at safety. The fifth-round pick will back up Nick Scott. He's a thumper with 163 tackles over the past two seasons. I also liked the Sam Hecht and Will Lee III picks as the Panthers rounded out a decent draft class.

GM Dan Morgan continues to fortify the roster of the 2025 NFC South champs, first-round OT Monroe Freeling (19th overall), second-round DL Lee Hunter (49th overall) and third-round WR Chris Brazzell II (83rd overall) all perhaps low-key bargains relative to their individual slotting. Brazzell's 6-foot-4 frame and sub-4.4 speed should be a dynamic element to this offense, even if he does nothing but run go routes as a rookie.