The Carolina Panthers have been linked to a dynamic Big 12 star in the NFL Draft.
The Carolina Panthers are looking to build upon a surprising season in which they won the NFC South division title, and while they made some key additions in free agency, they really need to knock the NFL Draft out of the park.
The Panthers still have some very obvious needs in critical areas, and even though they signed Jaelan Phillips to a massive contract, edge rusher remains an issue for the squad.
Carolina is expected to select an edge rusher at some point in the draft later this month, and Chad Reuter of NFL.com has the Panthers doing so in the second round.
In his recent five-round mock draft, Reuter predicted Carolina to select UCF star Malachi Lawrence with the 51st overall pick.
Lawrence is one of the most freakish athletes in this upcoming class and ranked second among edge rushers in NFL.com's athleticism score at the Scouting Combine.
The 6-foot-4, 253-pound defender racked up 28 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, seven sacks and a couple of forced fumbles this past season.
Malachi Lawrence. Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images.Lawrence arrived at UCF in 2022 and began earning significant playing time as soon as his second year, when he rattled off 27 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks.
The Louisville, Ky. native accumulated 72 tackles, 28 tackles for loss and 20 sacks throughout his collegiate tenure. He definitely struggles a bit against the run, so he could ultimately become a pass-rushing specialist on the professional level.
But would that really be the worst thing in the world for Carolina?
The Panthers totaled just 30 sacks in 2025, down from 32 the year prior. Both times, they ranked toward the bottom of the league in that category.
Carolina selected both Nic Scourton and Princely Umanmielen on Day 2 of the draft last April. Scourton did record five sacks, but Umanmielen barely made an impact.
Clearly, the Panthers need to add another body at the position, one who can actually produce for the club.
There will be plenty of talented edge rushers available in this class, but Lawrence might be one of the biggest sleepers of the bunch.
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