Why would the Carolina Panthers do this?
The Carolina Panthers shocked the NFL world this season, capturing the NFC South division title and nearly beating the Los Angeles Rams in the Wild Card Round of the playoffs.
Of course, the Panthers went just 8-9 in the process, so they absolutely still have some work to do when it comes to improving their roster.
Carolina has some very obvious problem areas, and it has enough cap room to actually makes some impactful moves in free agency. Plus, the Panthers will have the NFL Draft to plug some holes.
On that subject, Gordon McGuinness of Pro Football Focus recently ran a mock draft, and he projected Carolina to make a very puzzling move with the 19th overall pick.
McGuinness has the Panthers taking Ohio State defensive tackle Kayden McDonald.
"Pairing McDonald with Derrick Brown on the Panthers' interior would create a brick wall in run defense without forcing too many players at the second and third levels to sell out in the ground game," McGuinness wrote.
Ohio State Buckeyes defensive tackle Kayden McDonald. Credit: Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images.It's oddly not the first time Carolina has been linked to a defensive tackle in the draft, as another recent PFF piece connected the Panthers to Florida's Caleb Banks.
So why does Pro Football Focus keep urging Carolina to take an interior defender? The Panthers could use more depth in the trenches for sure, but they have Brown, and they signed Bobby Brown and Tershawn Wharton last March.
What Carolina actually needs is help with the pass rush, which is why names like Cashius Howell and T.J. Parker stand out as possibilities for the Panthers with their first-round draft choice.
Yes, Carolina selected a pair of edge rushers in Nic Scourton and Princely Umanmielen last April, but the Panthers amassed a grand total of 30 sacks in 2025. Clearly, they need more help with their pass rush, and McDonald wouldn't solve that problem.
Not only that, but Carolina could use some help at wide receiver and along its offensive line, so defensive tackle should be pretty far down the priority list. The Panthers could also stand to add another defensive back, as well.
We'll see what Carolina decides to do this April, but it would be pretty surprising if it took an interior defensive lineman on Day 1.