The Carolina Panthers are being predicted to land an incredibly speedy weapon for quarterback Bryce Young.
The Carolina Panthers have some very obvious holes to fill in the NFL Draft, and while wide receiver may not be overly pressing, they could still stand to add another piece at the position.
Currently, the Panthers are employing Tetairoa McMillan, Jalen Coker and Xavier Legette as their top three receivers, but with Legette trending toward bust territory, Carolina may have to find an alternative.
Chad Reuter of NFL.com recently ran a five-round mock draft, and he had the Panthers landing some wide receiver help in the third round, predicting them to land Oklahoma Sooners speedster Deion Burks with the 83rd overall pick.
Burks ran a 4.30 in the 40-yard dash at the Scouting Combine, which definitely drew a lot of attention and caused his name to surge up some draft boards.
Because of his blazing speed and impressive overall athleticism, Burks is now being viewed by many as a potential Day 2 pick, and Carolina could represent an intriguing landing spot for him.
The Panthers currently have Coker occupying the slot most of the time, but they could definitely move him outside and install Burks in the slot full time. Yes, that would mean Legette would get demoted, but he hasn't shown enough to maintain his job as a starter, anyway.
Deion Burks. Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images.Burks hauled in 57 receptions for 620 yards and four touchdowns during his final season at Oklahoma in 2025.
The Inkster, Mi. native actually began his collegiate career at Purdue in 2021, but didn't begin to earn significant playing time with the Boilermakers until 2023 when he caught 47 passes for 629 yards and seven scores.
Burks then transferred to Oklahoma, where injuries limited him to just five games during his debut campaign with the Sooners.
The 23-year-old was able to stay healthy this past season and is now a very viable NFL Draft prospect as a result.
With Bryce Young finally showing some positive signs in 2025, the Panthers opted to exercise his fifth-year option for 2027. It's more important than ever for Carolina to supply him with the right weapons, so Burks could be an option for the club.
The question is whether or not Burks' ceiling is high enough to warrant a third-round pick, especially with so many other talented receivers available in this year's draft class.
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