Carolina Panthers Give Bryce Young More Help in Latest 2027 Mock Draft

Through the first five weeks of the 2026 NFL season, the Carolina Panthers are on top of the NFC South with a 2-2 record. They just had their bye week after beating the Detroit Lions on Sunday Night Football and will head to Philadelphia to take on the Eagles in Week 6. 

For the Panthers, it's been an up-and-down start. But sitting at 2-2 and an offense that has been really good in their two wins isn't anything to be upset about. Right now, the Panthers have to feel good about themselves going into the rest of the season and their chances at not only winning the division but going on a playoff run. 

As Carolina continues to navigate through this 2026 season, the future of the franchise is in focus in terms of strengths and needs. Now, we are a long way away from next offseason, and Panthers fans prefer to enjoy this season first. But it's never too early to start looking at what the biggest needs for Carolina are. 

Among the needs is the offensive line. The Panthers have battled injuries on the offensive line this season, both at tackle and on the interior. The Panthers did draft Monroe Freeling in the 2026 draft, hoping he can be a key piece for them but it's unknown where he will fit on the line. 

In Nate Tice's latest mock draft on Yahoo! Sports, he has the Panthers addressing that line and selecting interior lineman Greg Johnson out of the University of Minnesota.

Tice sees a fit for Johnson as a fit on the interior, specifically at center. That's a spot the Panthers could use a long-term solution at. He also notes how Johnson's skill-set fits but how he elevates his teammates around him as a big plus for his game and what it means at the NFL level.

The Panthers believe they have their franchise quarterback in Bryce Young, now making sure they can keep him upright is the next challenge. Investing more into the offensive line makes sense from that aspect.

But the flip side of it has been how bad the defense has looked at times. They gave up 59 to the Bears in the first game of the season and through four games they are 26th in the NFL, allowing 27.3 points per game. 

The Panthers could look to use that pick on defense and try to stock up there and solidify that side of the ball. The good news is that this debate is far from over as the offseason is a long ways away.