As the 2026 NFL Free Agency begins to wind down, the Carolina Panthers and general manager Dan Morgan will now look to build on the organization’s successful signings from this offseason.

The Panthers made it clear that their primary goal heading into the 2026 season was addressing the defensive side of the ball. Morgan and the front office successfully signed EDGE Jaelan Phillips and linebacker Devin Lloyd. However, despite the franchise’s efforts throughout the most recent free agency period, there is one position on defense that Carolina has yet to fill before next season.

While the Panthers' secondary unit experienced its fair share of ups and downs last year, the group still has some positives, including star cornerback Jaycee Horn. But outside of Horn, the slot cornerback remains a major question mark this offseason, with former 2024 fifth-round pick Chau Smith-Wade projected to be the starter.

Luckily for Morgan and company, Arizona’s Treydan Stukes could be exactly what the organization is searching for in the 2026 NFL Draft.

Stukes, who was a key piece of the Wildcats' defense over the past five years, has plenty of experience at the college level.

After seeing limited action in his first season, Stukes eventually turned into a key playmaker for Arizona, racking up a total of 198 tackles, 29 pass deflections, 11 tackles for losses, and seven interceptions throughout his last five years with the program.

Despite playing in only four games with the Wildcats in 2024, the talented defensive back had a terrific 2025 campaign that boosted his draft stock. This past season, Stukes recorded career-high numbers, including 52 tackles and four interceptions. His impressive final season in college, parlayed with an outstanding showing during the 2026 NFL Combine, now puts him in the conversation as an early Day Two pick in the upcoming draft.

Looking at how the Panthers could potentially land the former Big 12 Conference star, Morgan could easily snag Stukes with the team’s second-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. As for how he would fit into defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero’s system, he would be the perfect replacement for Smith-Wade at the slot cornerback position, which Carolina desperately needs to address this offseason.

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