Panthers Officially Commit to Bryce Young in Latest ESPN Mock Draft

While most NFL fanbases are focused on the playoff race and the seeding, Panthers fans are more concerned about where they will pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. Sitting at 3-10, the Panthers will have a top-10 pick in the Draft. Exactly how high they will select will depend on how the next four games go.

There are currently five other teams with a 3-10 record, while the Giants and the Raiders are at 2-10. The Panthers have been feisty and competitive in recent weeks but winning games at this stage of the season could seriously hurt their chances in the draft.

As the end of the NFL regular season approaches, mock drafts have started to take shape. In ESPN's latest mock draft by Field Yates, the Panthers address the defensive side of the ball. With the fourth-overall pick, ESPN has Carolina taking Penn State pass rusher Abdul Carter.

"Edge rusher will be a priority for Carolina this offseason, as only Atlanta is worse in pass rush win rate (28.1%)...[Carter] has more juice and a faster get-off than any other pass rusher in this class, proving the ability to consistently make plays behind the line of scrimmage."

- Field Yates, ESPN

As Yates points out, the Panthers desperately need to improve at pass rush as they are miles behind the second-worst team in the NFL in that category per PFF.

Carter would help in a big way on that front. The standout junior has ten sacks, 20 tackles for loss, and two forced fumbles in 13 games this season.

The Panthers have the worst-ranked defense in the league right now. It makes sense that they would address that first before tackling the offensive end. Going with an EDGE with their first pick in the draft also reinforces their belief in Bryce Young. Instead of going for a quarterback early, the Panthers are choosing to ride with him into his third season.

Considering how much more improved he has been since taking over from Andy Dalton this season, that would be a smart decision by the front office.

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