NFL Mock Draft: 3-round Panthers projection after Dave Canales commits to Bryce Young

It is not how you start, but how you finish. For the first time in years, the Carolina Panthers have more than just hope; they have promise. While they finished well below .500 last season, they did beat the arch rival Atlanta Falcons at their place in overtime in what was probably the best game of Bryce Young's career. This is my team's rival, but I feel validated in knowing that Dave Canales would work.

Together, this head coach and quarterback combo is poised to make some noise, not only in the NFC South next year, but across the entire NFL. They have their franchise quarterback, an emerging star at head coach and a general manager who knows the organization incredibly well in former Panthers linebacker Dan Morgan. I would argue the Panthers have one of the brightest futures in the league.

So what I want to do today is to put out a way-too-early 2025 NFL Mock Draft for the Panthers, one that focuses solely on what they could do with their first three picks. This is all about building a contending team around Young before he gets paid the big money on his second contract. The game has finally slowed down for him, as Canales grew with every game he led Carolina on the sidelines.

Heading into 2025, it is abundantly clear that the Panthers have the right group of men to lead them.

Let's start with quite possibly the easiest draft pick the Panthers could make in the 2025 NFL Draft.

Carolina Panthers first-round pick: Penn State Nittany Lions linebacker Abdul Carter

My opinion on this could change in the coming weeks and months, but I am having an impossible time of seeing the Panthers pass on Penn State Nittany Lions linebacker Abdul Carter should he still be on the board at No. 8. Every time the Panthers have been a championship-caliber team, they have been led by a hall-of-fame playmaker in the defensive front-seven. I see Carter becoming just that.

To be quite frank, he may be my favorite prospect in the entire draft. Yes, he still has to declare for the 2025 NFL Draft after Penn State's College Football Playoff run comes to an end. There is a chance other teams picking ahead of the Panthers may want him more. If that is the case, then I would target either Mason Graham or Kenneth Grant off Michigan, or maybe pursue Mykel Williams out of Georgia.

The fact that Morgan is a former linebacker himself makes this potential fit too good to ever pass up.

Carolina Panthers second-round pick: South Carolina Gamecocks defensive end Kyle Kennard

If you want to see a pick in how you continually beat and punish the Atlanta Falcons in-division, the Panthers should make South Carolina Gamecocks defensive end Kyle Kennard their second-round pick. The Atlanta native initially played his college football at Georgia Tech before transferring to South Carolina. He was a transformative part of the Gamecocks' absolutely ferocious pass rush.

I would venture to guess that teams like Atlanta would be in hot pursuit of him as well. Playing with a boulder-sized chip on his shoulder, we are going to look back on Kennard being a second-round pick and wonder why X number of edge rushers were taken ahead of him. Given that he starred in the same region as the Panthers, I would be surprised if Carolina passed on him if he was still available.

If you have a great quarterback like Young, the next step is to get guys who can get after the passer.

Carolina Panthers third-round pick: Bowling Green Falcons tight end Harold Fannin Jr.

After going defensive front-seven in back-to-back selections for the Panthers, I went with an All-American tight end out of the MAC in Harold Fannin Jr. The Bowling Green standout was on my radar as a high-end, mid-round pick. Although Bowling Green did not win its conference, Fannin was one of the most impactful players throughout in that league. His game may translate marvelously to the NFL.

My thought here is to get Young another weapon in the passing game. A trusted tight end is a young quarterback's safety valve. It is a position that helps quarterbacks extend drives and the longevity of their careers. While I am not going to say that Fannin will be a perennial Pro Bowler for a team like the Panthers, but I see him having a productive career for around a decade for an emerging contender.

The combination of Carter, Kennard and Fannin could help the Panthers win the NFC South next year.