The Carolina Panthers have high hopes for the 2026 season. The team is coming off an NFC South title and playoff appearance, and the roster only got better over the offseason.
The NFC South is very winnable once again, so the Panthers should be in the mix. However, it's never too early to begin thinking about next year's draft. The 2027 draft is expected to be loaded with game-changing talent, especially at quarterback and in the trenches.
Luke Easterling of Athlon Sports recently released his updated 2027 mock. Easterling's mock is interesting when it comes to the Panthers for a couple of reasons. For one, Easterling has the Panthers missing the playoffs and picking at No. 14.
Then, Easterling has the team using that No. 14 pick on a defensive tackle.
Panthers Predicted to Draft Ole Miss DT William Echoles
Easterling has the Panthers landing Ole Miss star William Echoles. Echoles exploded onto the scene in 2025, collecting 68 tackles, 11.5 tackles for loss, and five sacks. That's an impressive level of production from an interior player, and if he builds on that, he'll be one of the top defensive prospects.
"You can never go wrong building through the trenches, and the 2027 class is loaded with potential first-round talents along the interior of the defensive line," Easterling said. "Echoles is a powerful force at the point of attack, with surprising movement skills for his size, and the kind of potential that could be maximized in a big way lining up next to Derrick (Brown) in Carolina."
Easterling is right that you can never have too many good players in the trenches. It would definitely be exciting to see Echoles and Derrick Brown lined up next to each other.
The Panthers did just draft defensive lineman Lee Hunter in the second round in 2026, though. Would the team really invest another high pick on an interior defensive lineman?
If the Panthers indeed miss the playoffs in 2026 and pick in the middle of the first round, it can probably be implied that Bryce Young had a bad season. In that case, would it not be more likely for the Panthers to draft a quarterback?
This upcoming draft class is expected to be loaded at quarterback, with Arch Manning, Dante Moore, and LaNorris Sellers expected to headline. There's no doubt that the Panthers will have plenty of options if they underperform in the 2026 campaign.
