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.

Best Pick: I love fourth-round safety Lathan Ransom from Ohio State. He is a thumper in the run game and a guy who made a lot of plays for a good Buckeyes defense.

Worst Pick: I didn't really like the pick of Ole Miss edge Princely Umanmielen in the third. He has skills, but he isn't great against the run and he needs to get stronger.

The Skinny: They clearly wanted to get a weapon for Bryce Young and some edge help, which they did with their second- and third-round picks. They took receiver Tet McMillan in the first, which will help Young, but I worry about his separation speed. The two pass rushers in Nic Scourton (second) and Umanmielen have talent, but they didn't always play to it. Tight end Mitch Evans in the fifth could be a nice pick.

Top needs entering the draft: Linebacker, defensive tackle, wide receiver and edge rusher

In all four mock drafts I did for this class, I projected Carolina to take Jalon Walker at No. 8. It's never that easy, though, right?

The Panthers went a different route, adding receiver Tetairoa McMillan. At 6-foot-4, he brings in just about anything thrown in his direction, including contested catches. Quarterback Bryce Young will throw the ball up to him in the red zone and walk away with a touchdown more often than not. Think Drake London in Atlanta. McMillan doesn't generate much separation, though, which could be an issue against NFL corners. It's part of the reason I had him ranked 19th. Even so, there are some good, young receivers in this locker room now with McMillan, Xavier Legette and Jalen Coker. (Carolina also added Jimmy Horn Jr. in the sixth round.)

The defenders came on Day 2, though. Good thing. Here's a sampling of the categories in which Carolina's defense ranked last in the league in 2024: points allowed per game (31.4), rushing yards allowed per game (179.8), total yards per game (404.5), QBR allowed (64.8), yards per play (6.0), first downs allowed per game (24.5), opponents' third-down conversion percentage (50.2%) and run stop win rate (25%).

Nic Scourton spent some time in my top 25 during the season, but I ended up ranking him 58th. He closes well on the QB, but his sack count fell from 10 to five in 2024. I like his run-stopping traits, though. Don't sleep on his impact there. Princely Umanmielen was the other second-day selection, and he will push quarterbacks off their spots. His 17.9% pressure rate ranked fourth in the country last season.

I'm surprised GM Dan Morgan, a former linebacker, didn't do anything at the second level, but defensive tackle Cam Jackson in Round 5 and safety Lathan Ransom will give defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero some more depth to work with.