The Carolina Panthers have received an interesting NFL Draft prediction in the midst of their playoff push.
The Carolina Panthers are one of the league's biggest surprises this season, as they are sitting at 7-6 and tied for first place in the NFC South.
The playoffs are within reach for the Panthers, who have gone 6-3 since a 1-3 start and most recently shocked the Los Angeles Rams in Week 13 before having their bye week.
Carolina has two upcoming games with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers that will absolutely determine its playoff chances, as the Buccaneers are also 7-6.
But regardless of whether or not the Panthers make the postseason, they have some problem areas they need to address, and many of them are on the defensive side of the ball.
Trevor Sikkema of Pro Football Focus has Carolina doing just that in his newest mock draft, predicting the Panthers to select Ohio State Buckeyes linebacker Sonny Styles with the 16th overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Ohio State Buckeyes linebacker Sonny Styles. Credit: Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images."The former safety now sits around 245 pounds and has outstanding instincts in both run defense (90.3) and coverage (87.7)," Sikkema wrote. "He has often been asked to operate as the lone second-level defender in Ohio State’s defense and has produced very few negative plays in that role. He’s worth a top-20 pick in this year’s class."
Styles has registered 80 tackles, five tackles for loss, a half of a sack and an interception this season, helping anchor one of the best defenses in the nation.
Last year, he racked up 100 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss, six sacks and eight passes defended, so statistically speaking, Styles has not been quite as productive in 2025.
However, his impact on Ohio State's defense is obvious, and he should have a pretty bright future on the professional level.
The Panthers could definitely use some help in their linebacking corps, and Styles — who opted to return for his senior season after helping lead the Buckeyes to a national title last season — is certainly an NFL-ready prospect.
Carolina selected a pair of edge rushers in the draft last spring, nabbing both Nic Scourton and Princely Umanmielen on Day 2. Neither has produced all that much this year, so perhaps the Panthers may prefer to address their pass rush rather than draft a linebacker in Round 1.
But if they go the latter route, they can't go wrong with Styles.