M Kaye on roster ahead of combine 3 positions not drafted by Morgan

[raleigh-panther]

Observer article    I left out the specialists which is the 3rd position 

Panthers haven’t drafted three positions under Morgan: Will that change in 2026?

Mike Kaye

[email protected]

4 hrs ago

The Carolina Panthers, two years into the Dan Morgan-Dave Canales era, have yet to draft an offensive lineman.

That is likely to change in 2026.

The organization has selected 

three wide receivers, 

two tight ends, 

two running backs,

two defensive backs,

two defensive linemen

and two outside linebackers 

during the shared reign of Morgan and Canales. Those multiple selections at several positions have come at the expense of the offensive line. But there are other positions that have been avoided, too.

With the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine ongoing in Indianapolis, let’s take a look at the three notable positions evaded by the organization over the past two drafts:

Quarterback

Last time position was drafted by Panthers:Bryce Young (first round, 2023)

Impending free agents at the position: N/A

Current depth chart under contract: Young, Andy Dalton
 

The Panthers can’t really be criticized for not selecting a quarterback over the past two years. The team invested a ton of draft capital in Young while trading up for the first overall pick in 2023.

Young has legitimately rebounded from a brutal rookie year and a whirlwind 2024 season that saw him get benched for roughly a third of the campaign. The Heisman trophy-winning passer posted career-high numbers in 2025, and the Panthers have already publicly noted that they will pick up the fifth-year option on his rookie contract.

So, Young will be under contract through at least the 2027 season. His longtime veteran backup, Andy Dalton, is entering the final year of his deal.

Morgan hasn’t minced words when discussing his desire to add a younger QB behind Young. The Panthers are hoping to contend long term, and they’ll need to manage costs throughout the roster in order to retain their top-tier talent. Drafting a quarterback on Day 3 could provide the Panthers with a cost-effective backup for Young for years to come. That savings could then help them invest elsewhere.

Dalton is guaranteed $2 million this season. If he were to be traded, the Panthers would save $4 million on the salary cap. That’s probably not enough savings to force a move, but given Morgan’s outlook on getting younger, it could lead to at least some consideration.

Dalton, 38, could also be bounced if the Panthers decide to target it a younger journeyman QB in free agency.

The backup quarterback spot has some offseason intrigue for the first time in a while.

Offensive line

Last time position was drafted by Panthers:G Chandler Zavala (fourth round, 2023)

Impending free agents at the position: C Cade Mays, OT Yosh Nijman, G/C Austin Corbett, T/C Brady Christensen, G/T Jake Curhan
 

Current depth chart under contract: LT Ickey Ekwonu, LG Damien Lewis, C Nick Samac, RG Rob Hunt, RT Taylor Moton, Zavala, Ja’Tyre Carter, Joshua Gray, Saahdiq Charles

The Panthers are set at three of their five starting positions on the offensive line. However, their outlooks at left tackle and center are certainly unenviable.

Ekwonu ruptured his patellar tendon in the playoff loss to the Los Angeles Rams last month. And despite being due $17.5 million in the final year of his rookie contract, Ekwonu might miss a good portion of the 2026 seasonfollowing a notable knee surgery.
 

Mays, the starting center, is set to become a free agent in March. While he’s played quite well over the past two years, the Panthers might need to pass on re-signing him to improve other positions on the open market. Mays was cut by Carolina in 2024 and lost the 2025 center battle to Corbett this past summer. So, there’s reason to believe the Panthers aren’t totally sold on him being a long-term answer, either.

With all that said, both positions have quite a bit of fluidity.

Having Hunt and Lewis at the guard spots might make Morgan feel better about putting a rookie at center in 2026. The same sentiment, though, probably can’t be said about left tackle, as the Panthers will want to reinforce Young’s blind side with Ekwonu shelved.

Nijman is likely among the internal free agents who Morgan wants to re-sign, and if that pact happens, look for the Panthers to be patient at tackle in the draft.

With Christensen, Curhan, Corbett, Nijman and Mays all set to hit the market, the Panthers are likely to have several new faces on the offensive line depth chart in training camp. The Panthers will probably make multiple moves in the trenches during free agency and the draft.
 

Selecting a long-term swing tackle with starter upside — especially with Ekwonu set to hit free agency in 2027 — seems inevitable.

 

[Donald LaFell]

Bryce will be complete ass if the O-line isn’t top 10 or better so you have to shore up the tackles. 

[PanthersNCSU]

34 minutes ago, Donald LaFell said:

Bryce will be complete ass if the O-line isn’t top 10 or better so you have to shore up the tackles. 

We need to draft OL, but if our OL is meh at best, it will help answer the Bryce question. Not advocating for trotting out a bad OL on purpose by any means, but in the continued up and down assessment on Bryce, I don't want the decision to be made solely around when he has "perfect" circumstances around him. 

Bryce has 2 years left on his contract, and I'm sure we're planning on using every bit of it to assess him unless he balls this year, or fails miserably. If not having a quality LT means we suck, we're draft high and get a new QB. If our OL is eh, but Bryce plays well, he's answering questions. 

Again, not advocating for ignoring the position because I'd prefer to constantly pour resources into the OL, but we can't or won't always have a Top 10 OL for the duration of his career here. poo or get off the pot time, because the 2027 draft class might be too good to pass up if we even *think* we need a QB. 

[strato]

1 hour ago, PanthersNCSU said:

We need to draft OL, but if our OL is meh at best, it will help answer the Bryce question. Not advocating for trotting out a bad OL on purpose by any means, but in the continued up and down assessment on Bryce, I don't want the decision to be made solely around when he has "perfect" circumstances around him. 

Bryce has 2 years left on his contract, and I'm sure we're planning on using every bit of it to assess him unless he balls this year, or fails miserably. If not having a quality LT means we suck, we're draft high and get a new QB. If our OL is eh, but Bryce plays well, he's answering questions. 

Again, not advocating for ignoring the position because I'd prefer to constantly pour resources into the OL, but we can't or won't always have a Top 10 OL for the duration of his career here. poo or get off the pot time, because the 2027 draft class might be too good to pass up if we even *think* we need a QB. 

I shudder to imagine the level of excuse making that we will see if Bryce falls off behind a degraded OL. 
I don’t know that he would be taking any heat at all from a lot of people.

And to the article, it is slightly less critical to draft OL when you went out and spent what they did on FA guards. But yes it is time to get a plan going for the draft that includes supplying the OL with fresh blood. 

Edited 1 hour ago by strato

[MHS831]

1 hour ago, Donald LaFell said:

Bryce will be complete ass if the O-line isn’t top 10 or better so you have to shore up the tackles. 

I think a T is a must.  I read that they were going to let Nijman and Mays test the market--bold move--unless they feel good about the draft pool.  An OT who can hold it down as well as Nijman, who could play RT in the future (or allow Ickey to move to RT, etc).  I think this is a good draft at OT (I have read some who disagree) and C.  Wonder if we go Edge (a third down speed rusher) and LB in free agency and draft OT, C, WR, and S?  Man.

Edited 1 hour ago by MHS831

[raleigh-panther]

The question becomes. Can the team do better at Ickey at LT

i believe the answer is yes a d sadly the injury moves that along

it will be bpa I’m sure but if there is a decent OT at 19, have to do it given how GA looks for them

do I want a great Lb or Edge, yes but there is a little fella at qb 

 

[MHS831]

21 minutes ago, raleigh-panther said:

The question becomes. Can the team do better at Ickey at LT

i believe the answer is yes a d sadly the injury moves that along

it will be bpa I’m sure but if there is a decent OT at 19, have to do it given how GA looks for them

do I want a great Lb or Edge, yes but there is a little fella at qb 

 

Bryce's size is not as big an issue now as it will be when he demands $50m per year.  Then you can't afford an OL that makes $100m and WRs with $20m+ contracts.  Not when you consider the Brown and Horn contracts on defense--before you pay your edge rushers....Da maff ain't gonna add up.  That is how having a Hobbit at QB is going to cripple the roster.

[strato]

3 minutes ago, MHS831 said:

Bryce's size is not as big an issue now as it will be when he demands $50m per year.  Then you can't afford an OL that makes $100m and WRs with $20m+ contracts.  Not when you consider the Brown and Horn contracts on defense--before you pay your edge rushers....Da maff ain't gonna add up.  That is how having a Hobbit at QB is going to cripple the roster.

If Morgan allows that to happen. I still have hope a Tua like situation can be averted.  
 

I think he already sort of crippled the roster. At least hobbled it.  Look at the resources denied to the defense for two solid years.  

Edited 7 minutes ago by strato