1 week Ago
The Carolina Panthers have done something they rarely ever do: impress Pro Football Focus. They also seem to have aced the NFL draft, which is a rarity. Those two things go hand in hand this time, as PFF gave the Panthers an A+ for their draft .
They were one of just three teams to get that coveted score. PFF loved Tetairoa McMillan as a prospect , and he was the Panthers' first overall pick. Several of the subsequent picks were worthy of PFF's love, and it led to the outlet gushing over all the things Dan Morgan and company did over the weekend.
The Princely Umanmielen pick might've been their favorite. They had him ranked as the 50th-best prospect in the draft, and he was their sixth-highest-graded edge rusher overall. The Panthers nabbed him at 77, 27 spots (per PFF) too low.
It was a possible steal. PFF also liked the Nic Scourton pick. "Scourton, the 29th-ranked player on the PFF Big Board, has an alluring combination of size and pass-rush moves, as well as the versatility to play in 3-4 or 4-3 fronts," they wrote.
"Over the past two seasons, his 91.7 PFF pass-rush grade against true pass sets charted in the 94th percentile." They detailed that Lathan Ransom will be a much-needed addition to the safety room that was so awful in 2024.
They also liked the pick of Trevor Etienne as another power back to spell Chuba Hubbard at times. Per PFF, Mitchell Evans, the newest tight end in Carolina, posted a 72.7% contested catch rate, so that could end up being a steal.
All in all, PFF thinks this was one of the three best draft classes in the NFL. - Enjoy more free Panthers coverage with Carolina Panthers on SI - Grading each pick by the Carolina Panthers in the 2025 NFL draft Fully updated Panthers 2025 depth chart with draft picks, UDFAs Panthers make big decision on fourth-year left tackle Ickey Ekwonu Carolina signs former 1,000-yard Pro Bowler after 2025 NFL draft.
