Carolina Panthers 7-round 2024 NFL mock draft projection after Brian Burns trade

Round 3, Pick 65: Blake Fisher, OL, Notre Dame

Bryce Young was seemingly under constant duress throughout his rookie season and that's an issue that the Panthers need to remedy in short order. So with the first pick of the third round, they take a potentially versatile piece for the offensive line in Blake Fisher out of Notre Dame.

Fisher has yet to turn 21 years old but was a two-year starter (and a damn good one) at right tackle opposite of Joe Alt for the Fighting Irish. He's a big fella at 6-foot-6, 312 pounds and he plays like it with a strong push, powerful hands, and the clear ability to move defenders off of the line of scrimmage.

The primary concern with Fisher is his lack of lateral quickness and agility, which allows speed rushes to cause him some problems on the edge. But that could give him an opportunity to move to guard and work there, especially with Carolina's need on the interior. Thus, I like the fit with the potential for Fisher to slot in at multiple spots.

Round 4, Pick 100: Cade Stover, TE, Ohio State

Tight end is quite far from a strength of this Panthers roster, though that could be sad at a number of spots on the depth chart. However, as they rolled out either Tommy Tremble or Ian Thomas at the position in the 2023 season, it's a clear area where the franchise could upgrade in the draft, even in the fourth round.

Cade Stover is a perfect fit to potentially help Carolina kill two birds with one stone by taking him at No. 100 overall. The Ohio State product is a good athlete with solid speed, good explosiveness, and a strong, sturdy frame. He showed up consistently as a safety valve for the Buckeyes passing offense, but also flashed enticing potential as a blocker who knows how to use his frame and athleticism in space.

There aren't many worlds where Stover becomes Travis Kelce or Sam Laporta, but he has the well-rounded game and skill set to be a TE1 at the NFL level, which could help Bryce Young both stay upright and succeed further in his development by giving him another pass-catcher.