NFL execs love Panthers' vision, 2nd-round pick from 2026 draft

For the second straight year, the Carolina Panthers are getting high marks for their work in the NFL draft. The latest bit of praise comes in the form of the annual exercise at The Athletic , where reporter Mike Sando polls anonymous executives for their thoughts on the selection process. In the Panthers' case, one gave them huge props for their overall vision and direction.

Sando notes: “I feel like they are drafting for what they want their team to look like,” an exec said. “They are trying to win on both lines of scrimmage. They want to run the ball.

They want to give the quarterback (Bryce Young) some big receivers so he can manage it. You can see what they are trying to do. ” Another executive singled out their pick of Texas Tech defensive lineman Lee Hunter, whom the Panthers traded up in the second round to nab: “Lee Hunter can play all the interior positions,” an exec said.

“He doesn’t have length, but he can play nose, he can play 3-technique, he can play 4i. And there’s upside with him because he can rush the passer a little bit. ” While there are no guarantees in the NFL, Hunter should help take pressure off of Pro Bowler Derrick Brown—enabling him to make more of an impact both against the run and in pressuring the quarterback.