Weighty matters for the Carolina Panthers include dealing with Bryce Young’s contract. But the most important thing right now is the draft. And here are three sleeper prospects for the Panthers to target in the 2026 NFL Draft.
The Panthers have to wait a little longer this year, selecting No. 19 in the first round. They enter the draft with needs at wide receiver, tight end, center, and defensive interior.
While the early picks will set the tone, the Panthers could impact their 2026 season with the right picks in the later rounds.
QB Taylen Green, Arkansas
Don’t forget that Young is 14-30 as a starting quarterback. Yes, he helped the team reach the playoffs in 2025. But let’s be real about his stats. He has 49 career touchdown passes with 30 interceptions. Not a good ratio.
And even though the Panthers nearly won their playoff game, Young completed barely 50% of his passes (21 of 40).
Enter Green. It makes a ton of sense for the Panthers to target Green. The only bad thing is that they might have to spend a fourth-round pick on him. If he lasts into the fifth round, it’s a no-brainer.
Green looked great at the NFL Combine, which probably pushed his draft stock into the fourth round, according to ESPN.
“Green … dominated the combine,” Mike Tannenbaum wrote. “At 6-foot-6 and 227 pounds, Green had a 4.36 in the 40, 43½ inches in the vertical, and 11-foot-2 in the broad jump.
“But he actually started to get my attention weeks earlier at the Senior Bowl. The accuracy needs to improve, but getting him in the building and working with him could pay off in a big way because of all those plus traits.”
The thing is, Green will start in the NFL eventually. His off-the-charts athleticism will give him that opportunity. He’s a long, rangy, dual-threat quarterback, according to NFL.com.
“Green’s ability to generate explosive plays as a runner and passer helped keep his offense afloat,” Lance Zierlein wrote. “ In-game consistency has been a sticking point, though. He has a long, unorthodox delivery and tends to baby too many throws. He can generate enough velocity and distance to stress defenses over the second and third levels.
“(However,) Green puts the ball in harm’s way at an alarming rate, which will translate to greater trouble against more talented defenders and more complicated coverage reads.”
LB Bryce Boettcher, Oregon
The Panthers have two fifth-round picks, and that gives them the perfect opportunity to grab this sleeper. With back-to-back slots at Nos. 158 and 159, the Panthers should spend one of them on Boettcher if he’s still on the board.
Boettcher brings a little something extra to the field.
“An undersized linebacker at 6-foot-1 and 233 pounds, Boettcher had a good week at the Senior Bowl, where he showed toughness and instincts,” Mike Tannenbaum wrote. “Over the past two seasons, he had 12 tackles for a loss, but I'm thinking he could be a core special teams player (at a minimum).”
The great thing about Boettcher is that he plays the game in a way that special teams guys need to play, according to NFL.com.
“The former walk-on plays like the chip never left his shoulder,” Zierlein wrote. “He’s fearless in his downhill approach, which leads to feast-or-famine results in the run game. His size, speed, and athleticism are average. But his competitive will and motor cover some of that up. Boettcher profiles as an NFL backup, but his special-teams talent could be his ticket to a higher draft (slot).”
Every team needs a guy like Boettcher. Maybe you don’t put him on the field as a linebacker when trying to protect a lead. But he’s the type of home-run defensive player who could change a game when playing from behind.
Regardless, he’s worth a strong fifth-round look for the Panthers.
TE Nate Boerkircher, Texas A&M
If the Panthers get either or both of the aforementioned players, maybe their luck will hold, and Boerkircher will drift into the sixth round.
He’s a tough nugget, according to NFL Draft Buzz.
“Boerkircher is a tight end who will earn his paycheck by blowing up linebackers on the perimeter, sealing edges in the run game, and contributing as a core four special teamer from Week 1,” NFL Draft Buzz wrote. “The physicality is real. When he gets his hands on you in space, you feel it.
“That mentality, combined with the versatility to align in multiple spots, gives him clear Day 3 value as a TE2 who can hold up in heavy personnel packages and provide a coordinator with a dependable extra blocker who does not take plays off.”
That’s all nice for a sixth-round pick. All three of these picks could top off a quality draft for the Panthers.
