How the national publications see the Panthers 2024 draft class

Legette — Carolina trades into the first round to take Legette, who broke out in 2023 after several nondescript seasons. Legette impressed all season with his strength and speed in an offense where he was the only legitimate threat. He consistently won downfield, posting an FBS-leading 97.7 PFF receiving grade on 10-plus yard throws. The Panthers add their second legitimate weapon at wide receiver to go along with Diontae Johnson.

Brooks — Brooks has ideal size, speed, strength and agility but tore his ACL in 2023, which will raise concerns about his ability to contribute in 2024. Brooks earned a career-best 91.5 PFF grade in 2023, fourth among Power Five running backs, and forced a career-high 63 missed tackles.

Wallace — Wallace is being drafted highly because of his athleticism, so it’s not too shocking to see him coming off the board on Day 2. That said, the production wasn’t there in college, with Wallace earning just a 61.4 run-defense grade and a 58.6 PFF coverage grade in 2023. He absolutely can develop in the NFL, but there will be some work to do to get him there.

Sanders — Sanders was a key cog in Texas‘ potent offense in 2023. He posted a 91.3 grade on contested targets and did not drop a single catchable target, both class-leading marks.

Smith-Wade — The Panthers have focused on offense in this draft, but they get good value here at cornerback after trading away Donte Jackson earlier this offseason. Smith-Wade earned PFF grades of at least 70.0 in each of the past three seasons. He allowed just one touchdown in coverage and forced nine incompletions last season.

Crumedy — Crumedy doesn’t provide a ton of pass-rush upside, with just 64 quarterback pressures across 1,149 career pass-rush snaps at Mississippi State. But he is a solid interior presence against the run, having earned PFF run-defense grades above 74.0 in each of the past two seasons.

Barrett — Barrett ranked 198th on PFF’s big board, so this is an excellent value selection. He was one of the leaders and captains for Michigan, and his 84.3 PFF grade ranked ninth among FBS linebackers. He is a consistent player in both run defense and coverage. Carolina is getting a three-down linebacker who played against offenses of all types in his time as a Wolverine.