Andrew Buller-Russ
Dan Morgan has been the Carolina Panthers‘ general manager for two draft processes. The 2026 NFL Draft will be his third as president of football operations/GM. Ironically enough, Morgan, a former NFL linebacker, has invested a first-round pick in a wide receiver in the only two drafts he’s presided over.
In 2024, the Panthers made Xavier Legette the 32nd overall pick in the first round. He’s yet to compile a total of 1,000 yards (860 career total). Meanwhile, last year’s selection, Tetairoa McMillan, who was the eighth overall pick, racked up 1,014 receiving yards while taking home Offensive Rookie of the Year honors in his first season.
Despite the Panthers selecting a receiver in the first round in each of the past two drafts, Carolina still has a need at the position. After all, Legette hasn’t developed into the star the Panthers hoped for, not like McMillan has.
Even though the Panthers have done it in back-to-back years, their GM still says Carolina could target another receiver with their first-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, where they pick 19th.
“No. I think with anything, we’re going to take the best player,” Morgan said, via the team’s website. “So if the best player we feel is that at 19, I wouldn’t hesitate to draft another wideout. I don’t think there’s a rule that says you can’t draft a wide receiver three years in a row. So I’m not really going to box us in and say we’re not going to draft him.”
The Panthers have commonly been projected to target a receiver in the first round. After seeing how much of an impact McMillan had on former No. 1 overall pick Bryce Young‘s game, one can’t help but wonder if a more complete and consistent group of receivers could really unlock Carolina’s scoring attack. The Panthers may feel the same way.
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