Some homers' opinions of the OTs that we may realistically be able to get at 19

[TD alt]

With so many people who want OT or bust at 19, AI found it interesting to hear people who are in their respective corners so to speak. 

 

It's like I've been saying. We could take a tackle if the value is there, but it's not like OT is a given considering we are at 19. I'm all about getting an OT, but the juice has to be worth the squeeze. You know that Francis Mauigoa is going to be gone. Spencer Fano, mentioned in another thread, could very well be gone, and Monroe Freeling may be a pipedream as well. After that, as a fan, you really have to ask yourself if 19 is too rich to be drafting an OT. I'm not saying that it is or isn't (I'm just waiting for the draft), but I do know that certain receivers and maybe a couple of TEs, if still on the board could probably outrank Proctor, Miller and a few others. If we want one of the surer OTs, we just may have to move up, and I'm not necessarily a fan of doing that, but if Freeling falls, I might grin and bear it.

As a bonus, here is a ranking of position groups by talent in this year's draft according to Lance Zierlein to offer even more insight and maybe perspective.

https://www.nfl.com/news/ranking-11-position-groups-in-2026-nfl-draft-from-strongest-to-weakest-edge-rusher-linebacker-loaded

 

[csx]

Let's draft based on a content creators list and forget about any basic understanding of football.

[jfra78]

There's a lot of ways we could go and i will probably be happy

[Swaggasaurus]

I’d feel ok if we take Mauigoa, Freeling, or Proctor at 19. I’m not down with either Utah player, but via  trade back or 51 I’d be ok with Lomu. I think he can get stronger. Power and lack there of translates.

[csx]

Which WRs are you referring to?

Proctor has a higher draft grade than Concepcion and equal to Tyson....the 3rd WR who's expected to be gone before we pick.

[TD alt]

8 hours ago, csx said:

Let's draft based on a content creators list and forget about any basic understanding of football.

What are you going on about? First off, the Locked on Podcast Network is legit. It's relatively small, but still worth millions and it's revenue is growing markedly. Secondly, anyone that's been following the upcoming draft is guessing that the tackles discussed just may be available when the Panthers pick at 19. I don't see it any more or any less than that. It's insight into tackles that we may be interested in taking. Hell, lots of people, like any other year, prospects will be discussed. Don't you want an OT? Then what's the issue with discussing them? I've seen us linked to every one of them before I watched this vid.

[shaqattaq]

11 hours ago, jfra78 said:

There's a lot of ways we could go and i will probably be happy

That's what having a competent GM looks like... filling all the team's glaring holes in the off season, so that we don't have to reach for a certain position. I'm not saying that we couldn't use some upgrades, but we have at least mediocre starters at every position. Do I want Wallace and Scott staring at ILB and FS, absolutely not, BUT, they were starters last year. 

As to the OT topic, we have 2 solid staters for 2026 and our back up started ay LT 13 games for GB last year. He was NOT good, but they won more games than we did. I absolutely think that we will draft another OT early due to Moton's age and Ickey's injury, but it no longer has to happen at 19. 

I'm looking forward to sitting back in a few weeks with a cold drink and enjoying the draft.

[shaqattaq]

11 hours ago, Swaggasaurus said:

I’d feel ok if we take Mauigoa, Freeling, or Proctor at 19. I’m not down with either Utah player, but via  trade back or 51 I’d be ok with Lomu. I think he can get stronger. Power and lack there of translates.

Lomu's pass blocking is already top notch and a year with our coaches and trainers would do wonders for him. I WOULD love to trade back a few spots and get him in the mid 20's (and pick up another late rd 3), but i seriously doubt he makes it out of round 1.

[MHS831]

Let's say we have a LT for 2026, because we do.  After that, let's say Ickey could be back and we would have the option of extending Walker.  That too is truth.  Don't get me wrong--I LOVE drafting OL, but drafting a first-round OT now is either wasting the money we just paid for a free agent OR it is like paying top dollar for a new car and keeping it in your garage for a season.  A first rounder should give us 4-5 years of cap relief by playing from day 1.

I shall elaborate here:

Teams obviously get desperate for OTs and if they enter the draft without 2 solid tackles, they are almost obligated to reach for a first round OT.  This year, I see 1 OT who is probably worth first-round consideration, and I am not putting him in the top 10 players in the draft.  Lomu, Freeling, Miller, and Proctor, for example, probably and arguably have second-round value.  So why would you reach for an OT in round 1 when you already have starters at both T positions but you have other needs?

We do need depth, however, and I think there is decent OT depth that needs development on day 3. They are no slouches, by the way.  

Drew Shelton (could drop to round 4): Surrendered 1 sack as Penn State's LT in 2025. 33 3/8" arms.  Pass pro improved every year (4 years--experienced).  "For a team running a zone-heavy scheme that values lateral movement and reach-blocking ability over phone-booth mauling, Shelton has real appeal. He is not a plug-and-play starter, but the athletic tools and the clear year-over-year improvement suggest a player who can develop into a capable starter if a coaching staff invests in his strength base and cleans up his technique. The ceiling depends entirely on how much stronger he can get and whether his feet can stay alive after initial contact."  

Austin Barber  (could drop to round 4): I see him as a RT at best and a probable kick inside to Guard where his strengths would switch from secondary to primary tools.  Considering Lewis and Hunt may be gone in a year or two, this would give the Panthers a chance to work him at RT and then move him inside if he is not effective, and there is confidence that G may be his best position.

Jude Bowery (4th round projection) was LT on a Boston College OL that was effective in the run game.  Bowery is one of the most athletic OTs in the draft.  His arms are not ideal but not too short (33.75") to play LT.  He surrendered 2 sacks. He is raw, and needs some technical refinement with his hands.  I think he has the best upside and value for this offense.  

Dametrious Crownover  TexAM (5th round projection; 35 3/8" arms) is one of the more fascinating developmental tackles in this class because the physical tools are legitimately rare. A strong run blocker who should be better in pass protection with his tools.  "You do not find many 6-7, 336-pound men with that foot speed and who have the athletic background of a converted tight end. When everything clicks, he looks like a starting right tackle in a gap-heavy run scheme, smothering defenders at the point of attack and using his length to erase speed off the edge. The 2024 tape, when he anchored one of the best rushing attacks in the SEC, is the version of Crownover that gets offensive line coaches excited."  THIS is the kind of player our coaches could develop until Moton is done.

Isaiah World  (Oregon, injured ACL in playoffs, 5th round projection--could slide to 6th).  World will not play much if at all in 2026, which is why he might fall.  For the Panthers' purposes, however, this would give the OL coaches time to work with him.

"What made World intriguing coming out of Eugene was the untapped ceiling, a fifth-year transfer who arrived as the top-ranked offensive tackle in the portal and looked the part for stretches. The improvement he showed against Big Ten competition in his one Oregon season was real, and the physical foundation, length, athleticism, and improving technique in pass protection, is still there. The ACL tear suffered in the College Football Playoff semifinal against Indiana doesn't erase that, but it changes the conversation significantly."

"That said, the investment argument isn't crazy for the right organization. This is still a tackle with first-round portal grades and the kind of athletic profile that doesn't just disappear. A team with patience and a strong offensive line room can afford to stash World on the roster, let him develop his lower-body power and pad-level consistency during the recovery process, and potentially unlock a starting-caliber right tackle somewhere in his second or third season. The path is longer now, but the destination hasn't changed for a scout willing to bet on the physical tools."

You get the idea. If we do not need the OT immediately, draft one later and develop him as depth and for next season.  Most college players drafted in round 1 were not first rounders if they had entered the draft the year before,  so why not grab a player with upside?

 

 

 

Edited 2 hours ago by MHS831

[csx]

https://www.pff.com/news/nfl-offensive-line-success-why-building-through-the-nfl-draft-is-the-key

 

Conclusions drawn

This article took a deep dive into evaluating recent offensive line trends regarding the draft and free agency while incorporating team success into the equation. Here are the biggest takeaways:

 

The best offensive lines in football (PHI, DET, TB) were built through the draft in the early rounds

Other teams (most notably LAC) are following the same approach in team building

Offensive line is something a team should target in the early rounds (1-3), as the success rate significantly declines in the later rounds both in the short and long-term

Offensive tackles have a higher success rate through the draft than interior offensive linemen, regardless of round

Acquiring free agent offensive line does have its benefits, particularly for elite units filling one hole. Interior offensive is typically the way to go

Top-end offensive line talent is far less likely to be available via trade or free agency compared to other positions year to year, only emphasizing the importance of the draft

 

My words: we were forced to make some big signings on interior after years of poor OL drafting and neglect. It worked but isnt sustainable. We need to get right. Drafting tackles high is a successful formula. We need to start now to have any hope going forward.  

[strato]

I look at it like get on top of the situation. Stay ahead of it. If it costs you a year of not drafting a starter at number three WR in the first so be it. We need new blood there in 2027 if not 2026, and need to get some OL on rookie deals.  

At the same time the big picture is considered, we have a QB that has yet to earn an extension and you can go glass half full if you want but he had about half the good games that he needed to have. Fewer, IMO, but the point is he is not a lock to earn an extension. 
 

Which would really put next year’s number one in play for QB and take OT off the table. So I think it needs to be on the table this year.  

[MHS831]

7 minutes ago, csx said:

https://www.pff.com/news/nfl-offensive-line-success-why-building-through-the-nfl-draft-is-the-key

 

Conclusions drawn

This article took a deep dive into evaluating recent offensive line trends regarding the draft and free agency while incorporating team success into the equation. Here are the biggest takeaways:

 

The best offensive lines in football (PHI, DET, TB) were built through the draft in the early rounds

Other teams (most notably LAC) are following the same approach in team building

Offensive line is something a team should target in the early rounds (1-3), as the success rate significantly declines in the later rounds both in the short and long-term

Offensive tackles have a higher success rate through the draft than interior offensive linemen, regardless of round

Acquiring free agent offensive line does have its benefits, particularly for elite units filling one hole. Interior offensive is typically the way to go

Top-end offensive line talent is far less likely to be available via trade or free agency compared to other positions year to year, only emphasizing the importance of the draft

 

My words: we were forced to make some big signings on interior after years of poor OL drafting and neglect. It worked but isnt sustainable. We need to get right. Drafting tackles high is a successful formula. We need to start now to have any hope going forward.  

I definitely see your point, but the issue to me is this:  Do we have the immediate urgency right now to draft a T in round 1 when there are other positions that could use starters from the draft?   Secondly, I find this draft to be weak this year, with about 14 players with first round grades (arguably).  I do not think the OTs in this draft are average, but there are more of them considered to be first round candidates based on the weakness of this draft.  Since we have 2 proven starters, maybe we should draft a project later and if we have the need next year, draft the OT then?  Your facts are indisputable, but we have to take our situation and the availability of talent at OT in 2026.  This is a very debatable topic--so I definitely see your view.

[csx]

3 minutes ago, MHS831 said:

I definitely see your point, but the issue to me is this:  Do we have the immediate urgency right now to draft a T in round 1 when there are other positions that could use starters from the draft?   Secondly, I find this draft to be weak this year, with about 14 players with first round grades (arguably).  I do not think the OTs in this draft are average, but there are more of them considered to be first round candidates based on the weakness of this draft.  Since we have 2 proven starters, maybe we should draft a project later and if we have the need next year, draft the OT then?  Your facts are indisputable, but we have to take our situation and the availability of talent at OT in 2026.  This is a very debatable topic--so I definitely see your view.

OL or DL is my preference. Its a proven approach that doesn't involve racking your brain with analysis . Keep the trenches stocked. Especially over another WR. We are over due to invest draft capital there.

[SmokinwithWilly]

I'm big for drafting an OT but it doesn't have to be a first rounder. It does have to be one that can actually play LT.

Icky's future is uncertain. I'm not a glass half empty kind of guy, I'm a realist. We can't expect Icky to return to pre injury form in a season. We have 2 guys on prove it deals, and an aging Moton on a 2 year deal. If we don't address the issue, next year we could very realistically need a new LT, new ST, new RT if Moton's knee issues get worse.

If things don't go well for us at the tackle position, we're in trouble having to go hunt for good starters in FA, AND we have a potential Bryce extension to cripple the cap or Bryce tanks and we're in search of a QB1 again. 

There's a lot more ways for this to go wrong than to go right for us. As long as we seriously address the position, I'm fine. Bringing in an UDFA and calling it good while we go all in in the draft planning to make a SB run while being paper thin at one of the biggest meat grinder areas on the team, that's just bad planning in my book. 

We should be drafting one OL guy every year. We haven't been investing in the draft. We have to do it, like it or not. Our entire OL can't be FA pickups.