Carolina Panthers general manager Dan Morgan during the 2026 NFL Annual League Meeting at the Arizona Biltmore. Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn ImagesThe 2026 NFL Draft is one day away from kicking off and the Carolina Panthers are preparing for any and all possibilities while having current possession of the 19th overall pick in the first-round.
The 2026 NFL Draft is nearly 24 hours away from kicking off and the Carolina Panthers are preparing to keep all options on the table, a plan that goes beyond sticking and picking with the 19th overall pick in the first-round.
One day out from the draft, many experts are expecting the Panthers to make some kind of move, either trade down or trade up, depending on how the board starts to fall.
Peter Schrager had Carolina trading back in his latest mock draft, picking up the No. 28 and No. 69 overall picks from the Houston Texans and landing Texas A&M wide receiver KC Concepcion. Ian Rapoport, Albert Breer, and Dan Graziano all mentioned the Panthers over the last 24 hours as a team to watch to move up for an offensive tackle.
Fittingly, Darin Gantt published an article on the team’s website on Wednesday elaborating more on the possibility of the phone lines staying open in Charlotte.
“Philosophically, we have an open-minded mindset,” general manager Dan Morgan explained. “We’re open to anything, whether it’s moving back, whether it’s moving up, if we feel like a guy can be an impact player for us, I do think all options are on the table.”
If the Panthers want to move up, that means they have a player in mind and are worried about getting sniped. Just like how they moved up in the 2025 NFL Draft to ensure they landed Nic Scourton in the second-round.
Moving up in the first-round is different, and more expensive. You also need to have the right team willing to move back and the right package to entice them.
“Usually with trades on draft day, it usually just comes down to calling your friends and seeing if they’re willing to do a deal or not,” vice president of football operations Brandt Tilis. “Those are the ones that tend to work the best for both sides.”
One friend the Panthers could call is the Los Angeles Rams. Schrager has close connections in Los Angeles’ draft room and hinted at the Rams moving back in the first-round.
A trade from pick No. 19 to pick No. 13 wouldn’t be impossible. For context, in the 2024 NFL Draft, the Jacksonville traded the 17th overall to the Minnesota Vikings in exchange for the 23rd and 167th overall picks along with a 2025 third and fourth-rounder. In 2015, the San Francisco 49ers traded the 15th overall pick to San Diego Chargers in exchange for the 17th and 117th overall picks, and a 2016 fifth-rounder.
To move from pick No. 19 to pick No. 13, it would only take an early Day 3 selection plus a future Day 2/3. The Panthers could simply offer picks No. 19 and 119 (fourth-round) along with a future third-round pick.
Doing so would allow the Panthers to jump the Detroit Lions for an offensive tackle and/or jump the Baltimore Ravens and Minnesota Vikings for a player such as tight end Kenyon Sadiq or safety Dillon Thieneman.
If the Panthers stay put at pick No. 19 and miss out on the run of offensive tackles, Sadiq, Thieneman, and a few top wide receivers, I can see a world in which Morgan attempts to move back.
Moving back from pick No. 19 into the mid-late 20’s could allow the Panthers to stockpile more selections. And as Schrager showed, moving back far enough could even net Carolina another second-round pick.
After doing so, I could see any of the remaining WRs (Omar Cooper Jr., Concepcion, Denzel Boston) being an option, or reaching for a player such as safety Treydan Stukes or linebacker Jacob Rodriguez.
The draft is set up to be exciting on Thursday and the Panthers are preparing for any scenario. Want to get in on the action yourself ahead of time? Play around with some of these possibilities and more using the A to Z Sports Mock Draft Simulator below.