Biggest winners and losers from the Panthers' 2026 NFL Draft

With their first NFC South title defense in a decade awaiting them, the Carolina Panthers entered this offseason looking for more competition in their own building. Their search came up big in free agency —where the front office reeled in the likes of pass rusher Jaelan Phillips, Pro Bowl linebacker Devin Lloyd and left tackle Rasheed Walker. They also retained much of their own depth, re-signing 14 in-house free agents from the division-winning 2025 squad.

That hunt picked up again on Thursday, with the 2026 NFL Draft . And following three long days, the Panthers are walking out of the weekend as a more potent contender than they were coming in. But as the competition on the roster grows, some of the fates of the ones who were already there have changed.

Here are the Panthers' biggest winners and biggest losers from their 2026 draft . . .

Winner: QB Bryce Young Once again, Carolina used their most valuable pick to build around their quarterback. The Panthers, in each of the three drafts since taking Young No. 1 overall in 2023, have used their first-rounder on offense.