The Carolina Panthers traded back twice in the fourth round to take a defensive back.
The Carolina Panthers traded back twice in the fourth round and eventually selected cornerback Will Lee III with the 129th overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Their first deal sent the 119th and 196th overall picks to the Jacksonville Jaguars for the 124th and 166th overall picks. They then traded the 124th and 166th overall picks to the Chicago Bears for the 129th and 144th overall picks.
It's been an active day for general manager Dan Morgan, but they added to their defense with Lee III.
Lee III had three productive seasons in college, starting at Kansas State in 2023, where he finished with 42 total tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, two interceptions, six pass deflections, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery.
Troy Taormina-Imagn ImagesHe then transferred to Texas A&M, where he put together two strong campaigns. In 2024, he had 42 total tackles, 0.5 tackles for loss, two interceptions (including a pick-six), 10 pass deflections, and a forced fumble.
Lee III played at a high level again in 2025, finishing with 50 total tackles, two tackles for loss, an interception, and eight pass deflections.
He thrives in man coverage due to his combination of size, speed, and ability to track the football.
The Panthers have now added Lee III and defensive tackle Lee Hunter in the second round.
Carolina had a solid defense in the 2025 season and will need to be even better in 2026 to make a deeper run in the postseason.
The Panthers won the NFC South and made it to the playoffs for the first time since 2017. They have had a balanced draft thus far, helping quarterback Bryce Young with the first round selection of tackle Monroe Freeling and the third round selection of wide receiver Chris Brazzell II.
With a solid draft thus far, Carolina will look to keep adding talent to have a roster that's ready to make another playoff push in 2026.
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